Gen Con 2015 News and Official Call for Volunteers!

Mon, Feb 23, 2015, 01:30 PM

I was advised last year that we needed to plan to make Gen Con 2014 the biggest and best yet. And it certainly was! We scheduled 1,500 tables of Pathfinder Society during the convention. We showed the world our Kid's Beginner & Advanced Tracks, as well as the Pathfinder Beginner Box Introductions, Parts 1 and 2. We debuted the Silverhex Chronicles Quests. We hosted more than 20 seminars. And we launched the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild! Gen Con was definitely a success and Paizo's biggest showing in history. But we can make it bigger and better this year!

Gen Con 2015 News and Official Call for Volunteers!

Monday, February 23, 2015

I was advised last year that we needed to plan to make Gen Con 2014 the biggest and best yet. And it certainly was! We scheduled 1,500 tables of Pathfinder Society during the convention. We showed the world our Kid's Beginner & Advanced Tracks, as well as the Pathfinder Beginner Box Introductions, Parts 1 and 2. We debuted the Silverhex Chronicles Quests. We hosted more than 20 seminars. And we launched the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild! Gen Con was definitely a success and Paizo's biggest showing in history. But we can make it bigger and better this year!

Paizo will once again be a cosponsor at this year's show. What does that mean for Pathfinder Society? It means we return to the Sagamore Ballroom and we get the entire room! We increase our playspace size, scheduling 180 tables per slot. We are moving the Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild into the Sagamore Ballroom and assigning 20 tables that will be utilized just for Pathfinder Adventure Card Game play. At Gen Con 2015, we're also debuting the Adventure Card Guild Open, a tournament play option using tables of four players and pre-set scenarios with no randomized elements; Tanis will share more about this even in an upcoming blog. In addition, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game demos will be run during every hour that the dealer hall is open.

Additionally, we have one of the 7 rooms that were used for Pathfinder Society in 2013. It will be used exclusively for more than 20 Paizo seminars.

Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-23: Title to be announced at a later date

All Tiers and Specials

A Tier 1-11 multi-table interactive Special "Siege of Serpents" on Thursday night

A second Tier 1-11 multi-table interactive Special in which the Society reassembles and activates the Sky Key (Friday night)

A bonus Special "True Dragons of Absalom," in which the players portray unlikely allies of the Pathfinder Society using unique pregenerated kobold characters (Saturday night)

The "Serpents Rise" Special in which the PCs are agents of the Aspis Consortium bent on sabotaging the Pathfinder Society. Special pregenerated characters are provided for this event on Sunday morning.

Note: After Gen Con, the "Serpents Rise" pregenerated event will become available to all 4-and 5-Star GMs to run as exclusives in their local areas. Additionally, the "True Dragons of Absalom" special will become available to all 5-Star GMs to run as exclusive events in their local areas.

Beginner Box and Kid's Track

We have two different Beginner Box Introductions offerings again this year. During 7 slots at Gen Con, we are setting aside 5 tables for these Beginner Box Introduction events. Both parts are scheduled with new players in mind. Beginner Box Introductions, Part 1 allows for the first 45—60 minutes to be an exploration of the contents of the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box, explaining the rules, and reviewing the pregenerated characters. The final hours of each slot involve playing through the 4 one-hour adventures. In Beginner Box Introductions, Part 2, the GM will assist players in advancing their character to third level. The Beginner Box Transitions, Player Pack, and GM Kit will be reviewed. Once those 3 free documents have been briefly covered, we will be offering up five, one-hour adventures as time permits. Much like the 4 adventures in part one, these utilize only the Beginner Box rules.

For the Pathfinder's Kids' Track, we will be setting aside 5 tables at 7 slots during the convention. We are focusing on players aged 6—12 and will use the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box for this as well. The Kids' Track is divided into 2 parts: the Beginner Track and the Advanced Track. Each Kid's Beginner Track slot will be 2 hours long, and each player will receive a check-off card. The first hour of each of the 7 Kids' Beginner Track sessions teaches roleplay and rules, and reviews the pregenerated characters found in the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box. During the second hour, one of the 4 one-hour adventures used during the Beginner Box Bash will be played.

For the Kids' Advanced Track, we are focusing on children who participated in last year's Kids' Beginner Track, at a local Kids' Beginner Track session near their home, or for older children that have prior experience with Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The GM at each of the two-hour slots will help the children level their chosen character to third level. After leveling is complete, the GM will run one of 5 new adventures designed using the Beginner Box rules.

We will be running each of the 9 different, Beginner Box adventures multiple times throughout the convention to allow flexible scheduling for children and parents. We will be restricting tables to four children players and are requiring a parent or guardian be present with their child (or multiple children if they have two or more interested in participating) for the entire 2 hours. The parent or guardian will assist the child when needed. But, we want to make this a good and memorable experience for the kids that attend Gen Con, who often find little they can participate in, especially with others their own age. We will be scheduling 20, two-hour tables per day on Thursday through Saturday, and 10, two-hour tables on Sunday, for the Kids' Track, divided between the Beginner and Advanced Tracks.

If a child plays all 4 different adventures in the Beginner's Track, he will be able to present his check-off card to the prize table and receive a special certificate that celebrates his accomplishments. If a child plays all 5 different adventures in the Advanced Track, she will be able to present her check-off card to the prize table and receive a second, different special certificate. Both certificates can be used for the child's new Pathfinder Society character to advance from the Beginner Box to the full Core Rulebook rules and participate in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. We may also have other give-aways or special prizes, such as dice and miniatures, similar to last year. I will be very picky when choosing volunteer GMs for the Kids' Track. I prefer to have school teachers and other professionals with experience dealing with children. I will consider GMs who are parents even if they do not deal with children regularly in their profession. If you are volunteering to GM the Kids' Track, please make sure to include all of your credentials. Also, since these are scheduled as two-hour blocks, a GM will be required to run 2 Kids' Track slots back to back in a five-hour block to count as 1 slot of credit toward GM rewards.

We will also be running a new set of Pathfinder Quests, based around the upcoming Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Occult Adventures hardcover, inside the Sagamore Ballroom, and I do have a few volunteer spots of five-hour blocks for any GM interested in running those for players as they show up and fill the quests tables.

Volunteering for Gen Con 2015

Now, let's talk about the GMs and volunteers we need to pull all of the above off and make it the biggest and best Gen Con ever.

I need a minimum of 375 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games, Beginner Box Introductions, Kids' Track events, Pathfinder Quests, Pathfinder Adventure Card Guild scenarios, and Adventure Card Game demos. I'll continue taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled, at which point I will create a waiting list in the event that a scheduled GM has to cancel their Gen Con trip for whatever reason.

I also need a few HQ Volunteer Assistants for each slot of the show. These folks will not GM during their volunteer slots, but will instead help the HQ Lead Volunteers and I run Pathfinder Society HQ, including marshalling, collecting tickets, distributing GM packs, entering tracking sheets into the database, and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. Keep in mind these are very limited and likely to fill up in the first hour after the blog goes live.

Finally, I need volunteers who have experience with the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, to run demos in the Dealer Hall next to Paizo's booth, as well as assist Card Game OP tables in the Sagamore Ballroom, from 8:00 AM until midnight Thursday through Saturday, and from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM on Sunday. You can volunteer to work 1 or 2 five-hour blocks each day from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Sunday ends at 4:00 PM) in the Dealer Hall. Volunteering for any demo time will count toward your GM reward credit below, but you still must have a minimum of 7 five-hour sessions to qualify for a hotel room as a Tier 2 volunteer.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at Gen Con 2015. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. Those that are able to spice up their event by adding 3-D terrain, props that stand out and the like, will be given first consideration for specific events. I will let you know the slots and scenarios you have been assigned as soon as possible. You may designate what tier scenarios you wish to GM but this is not guaranteed to be filled. I will do the best I can to accommodate your requests. My target date to have all GMs their assigned schedules is April 3. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule, before the May event registration, with your friends and family who are also attending Gen Con 2015. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at Gen Con 2015.

Volunteer Reward Tiers

Tier 1 Volunteers
Tier 1 GM volunteers are invaluable to making the show a success. Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 8 slots. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you won't be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-Day Gen Con 2015 Badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown Hotel

A $10 per slot voucher for paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after

A special Pathfinder Society boon useable for either the Adventure Card Guild or Roleplaying Guild

Tier 3 Volunteers
While the rewards for volunteering for this tier are smaller, the majority of my volunteers will likely come from Tier 3. Tier 3 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 6 slots. Tier 3 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-Day Gen Con 2015 Badge

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after

HQ Volunteers

HQ Volunteers are involved in the management and coordination of Pathfinder Society events at Gen Con. As a team, they're responsible for getting all the players and GMs seated, answering questions for new players, handing out prizes, and all the minutiae in getting 180 tables worth of GMs and players per slot seated and enjoying their games. HQ slots are longer than GM slots, and there are only 2 per day (except Sunday, when we only have 1) of the convention. Morning slots start half an hour before the games start, and the evening slot ends half an hour after the last player leaves the room. With few exceptions, every HQ Volunteer needs to be familiar with Pathfinder Society and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, much as a GM is. The reward structure is similar to that of GMs, with the Tiers tied to rewards for similar amounts of time volunteered.

Tier 1 HQ: 5 SlotsTier 2 HQ: N/ATier 3 HQ: 4 SlotsTier 4 HQ: 3 Slots

HQ slots are 7:30 AM through 3:45 PM for the morning and 3:45 PM through 12:30 AM for the evening. If volunteering for an HQ position, please list your skill and strengths in the area you want to volunteer for so we can match up a volunteer to the job that best fits his or her talents. Rewards are much the same as the GM rewards, as follows:

HQ Volunteer Tier Rewards

Tier 1 HQ Volunteers
Tier 1 HQ volunteers are the backbone to making the show a success. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Most of my HQ volunteers fall into this group. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts about being able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-Day Gen Con 2015 Badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown Hotel

A $15 per slot voucher for paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after

A special Pathfinder Society boon useable for either the Adventure Card Guild or Roleplaying Guild

Tier 3 HQ Volunteers
While the rewards for volunteering for Tier 3 are smaller, this gives you a chance to experience the organizational side of the largest PFS event in the world while still leaving a good chunk of your weekend free. Tier 3 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-Day Gen Con 2015 Badge

A $15 per slot voucher for paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after

Learning Exotic Spells

Alahazra, Oloch, and Shardra cast a powerful spell from a non-Core source. Off-screen, Kyra weeps with envy.Illustration by David Alvarez

Learning Exotic Spells

Monday, February 16, 2014

The Pathfinder Society team recently introduced the Core Campaign, an additional way to participate in Pathfinder Society that makes it more approachable while also opening up hundreds of new ways to play for credit. As you may have seen last week, when Mike and I added the essential Inner Sea World Guide languages to the list of those a PC can learn in the Core Campaign, we're listening to your questions about this new option and providing essential clarifications. In addition to these blogs, I recommend checking out the Core Campaign forum.

Alahazra, Oloch, and Shardra cast a powerful spell from a non-Core source. Off-screen, Kyra weeps with envy.Illustration by David Alvarez

This past week, Mike and I discussed exactly how we wanted to handle the process for learning non-Core spells in the Core Campaign. We had decided early on to allow wizards to scribe non-Core spells they come across, but as many of you pointed out, that leaves bards, clerics, druids, paladins, rangers, and sorcerers without any means of learning non-Core spells whatsoever. In a way this makes sense, but it's a rather unsatisfying, perverse kind of sense. Here's what we're going to do:

Wizard PCs can scribe non-Core spells from spellbooks and scrolls during the scenario, but the opportunity ends when the scenario does. Record any such spells learned on the Chronicle sheet, and have the GM initial the note.

If an NPC prepared spellcaster has a spellbook but no spells listed in it, he is assumed to have any spells he has prepared in the book.

Even if he missed his opportunity during the scenario, a wizard PC can learn spells from any scroll that appears on a Chronicle sheet by purchasing it and scribing it as normal.

Other PCs able to cast spells—spontaneously or from a divine spell list that does not depend on a spellbook—can learn spells they find in scroll form so long as they buy the scroll and expend it to add the spell to her list of legal spells; spontaneous spellcasters must still expend known spell slots in order to learn the spell. These PCs cannot learn non-Core spells from spellbooks.

Wizards have always been among the best at incorporating new spells into their repertoire, and this keeps them that way while also letting non-wizards learn spells from scrolls they purchase from their found Chronicle sheets.

No Hablo Shoanti

Mon, Feb 9, 2015, 12:00 PM

The Pathfinder Society Organized Play team recently introduced the Core Campaign, an additional way to participate in Pathfinder Society that makes it more approachable while also opening up hundreds of new ways to play for credit.

No Hablo Shoanti

Monday, February 9, 2014

The Pathfinder Society Organized Play team recently introduced the Core Campaign, an additional way to participate in Pathfinder Society that makes it more approachable while also opening up hundreds of new ways to play for credit.

As with any new initiative, there are many features that we consider and address before the announcement, and there are often nuances and corner cases that the public points out after the grand unveiling. I am going to address one of the latter now, but if you have other questions about the Core Campaign and how it works, I recommend checking out the Core Campaign messageboard.

Languages play a major role in our adventures, and while the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook describes many of the basic languages that could appear in any campaign setting, it does not list any of the languages specific to Golarion. That means the Shoanti cannot speak Shoanti, PCs traveling to Tian Xia are unable to learn the continent's common tongue, and nobody exploring ruins in Varisia can learn to read Thassilonian. That's an omission on our end, and we're including a list of key languages in a future version of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, one of the legal resources for the Core Campaign. In the meantime, this blog serves as a legal stand-in resource. Also note that page 8 of the Guide notes that human characters also gain their ethnic language for free (this is also true in the Core Campaign); in order to be extra clear as to who gets what, I have included a parenthetical note next to some languages clarifying which human ethnicity (if any) gains that language for free.

The following 19 languages are legal choices in the Pathfinder Society Core Campaign:

Now that Hayato can legally speak Tien, he can avoid unfortunate misunderstandings like this.Illustration by Rayph Beisner

Modern Human Languages

Hallit (Kellid)

Kelish (Kelishite)

Osiriani (Garundi)

Polyglot (Mwangi)

Shadowtongue

Shoanti (Shoanti)

Skald (Ulfen)

Tien (Tian)

Varisian (Varisian)

Vudrani (Vundrani)

Ancient Languages

Ancient Osiriani

Azlanti

Cyclops

Jistka

Tekritanin

Thassilonian

Other Languages

Necril

Orvian

There are still other languages out there like Minkaian, Senzar, Treant, and Tengu, but this list should provide PCs with a broad range of language choices that facilitate playing and enjoying all that the organized play campaigns have to offer.

Official Call for PaizoCon 2015 Volunteers

Feb 2, 2015, 12:00 PM

For PaizoCon 2015, we plan to make Organized Play even bigger than last year! I am scheduling 210 tables of Pathfinder Society over four days. We will be offering all Season 6 scenarios available to date multiple times, including the debut of two new scenarios. In addition, we will be running scenarios in both the existing campaign mode, as well as the Core Campaign mode. There will multiple tables of both modes of play run in every slot.

Official Call for PaizoCon 2015 Volunteers

Monday, February 2, 2015

For PaizoCon 2015, we plan to make Organized Play even bigger than last year! I am scheduling 210 tables of Pathfinder Society over four days. We will be offering all Season 6 scenarios available to date multiple times, including the debut of two new scenarios. In addition, we will be running scenarios in both the existing campaign mode, as well as the Core Campaign mode. There will multiple tables of both modes of play run in every slot.

We are also adjusting the schedule of Pathfinder Society Roleplaying and Adventure Card Guild games being offered this year. After last year's show, we heard many of you say that while you love PFS, you want to experience more of the convention. Now that PaizoCon is a four day convention, we have the ability to be more flexible with the schedule.

The morning slots each day will host no less than 11 different PFS scenarios in both existing campaign mode and Core Campaign mode. The afternoon slot each day will be left open so attendees can participate in seminars (including GM 101 and GM 201 sessions), have time to look around the PaizoCon store, have more time to schedule lunch and dinner, and more opportunities to participate in the other events and activities at the show. For the diehard PFS fans who want to play a roleplaying or card game scenario in the afternoon slot, there will be tables available in the open gaming area, though we will not be officially scheduling GMs for those slots.

In addition to scenarios, we will be debuting the Season 7 Gen Con Special on Friday night. This will not be a playtest version. This Special will be the full version that is scheduled to run at Gen Con! We will only have the existing campaign mode of tables being run at PaizoCon. However, we will be offering Core Campaign mode tables, in addition to existing campaign mode, of the special at Gen Con.

We will also be offering a new type of special on Sunday night! Since the Aspis Consortium plays an important part in fighting the Pathfinder Society in the Season 7 Special, we wanted to offer players a chance to see the other side of the story. Players will get the opportunity to play pregenerated Aspis agents and attempt to defeat the Pathfinder Society! If the event sells out, don't worry. We will also be running it as a special event one day at Gen Con 2015. After Gen Con, this pregenerated event will be available to all four and five star GMs to run as exclusives in their local areas. And yes, we do have something in the works that will be a five star GM exclusive as well. It will be announced on the Gen Con call for volunteers blog in a few weeks.

Finally, we be offering the GM 101 and GM 201 sessions again in the Friday and Saturday afternoon slots. It should be an awesome time.

I need a minimum of 75 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games and I'll keep taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled! I also need 7 Volunteer Assistants for the show—these folks will not GM, but will instead help Venture-Captain Bob Jonquet, the lead HQ volunteer, run Pathfinder Society HQ, and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society.

If you're more interested in volunteering for the Adventure Card Guild, we need 5 volunteers for for each slot. Card game volunteers will be assisting 2 tables during each slot. These volunteers will be working the same time slots as the Roleplaying Guild and may receive the same tier rewards.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at PaizoCon 2015. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. We will let you know the slots you have been assigned to before the event lottery goes live. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule with your friends who are also attending PaizoCon 2015.

Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Volunteer Assistant
7 needed, treated as a Tier 1 volunteer

Tier 1 Volunteers
Tier 1 volunteers are invaluable to making the show a success! Tier 1 volunteers must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 6 slots. I only have room for 30 Tier 1 volunteers, so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you'll be able to attend the show. Tier 1 volunteers receive:

A FREE 4-Day PaizoCon 2015 badge

A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A FREE copy of one printed Paizo product of your choice from the PaizoCon 2015 convention store. Products must be priced at $59.99 or less (excludes preorders or backorders). Email paizocon@paizo.com with your product choice and it will be reserved for you at the convention store.

A FREE Pathfinder Society goblin volunteer t-shirt

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon

Tier 2 Volunteers
While the rewards for volunteering for this tier are smaller, the majority of my volunteers will come from Tier 2. Tier 2 volunteers must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 5 slots. Tier 2 volunteers receive:

A FREE 4-Day PaizoCon 2015 badge

A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A FREE Pathfinder Society goblin volunteer t-shirt

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon

Tier 3 Volunteers
This is the minimum volunteer level. Tier 3 volunteers must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 3 slots. Tier 3 volunteers receive:

A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including subscriptions.

A FREE Pathfinder Society goblin volunteer t-shirt

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.

We will also gladly accept anyone who wants to run just one or two slots during the show. Those who do will receive a $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including subscriptions.

How to Volunteer

Provide and be specific about what days you are interested in volunteering for. I will assign folks to scenarios on an as-needed basis. You may also include the tier of scenarios you are most comfortable GMing and I will try to assign you that schedule accordingly. I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help.

You must have a paizo.com account and include the email the account is registered with, along with your messageboard name in your email to me, or I won't be able to get you a badge (Tier 1/2 Volunteers) or the appropriate scenarios in your downloads.

If you're interested in volunteering at PaizoCon 2015, email me at mike.brock@paizo.com with the subject "PaizoCon Volunteer".

Thanks in advance for volunteering, good luck, and have a great spring convention season!

Introducing the Core Campaign

Jan 26, 2015, 12:00 PM

As the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign and the Pathfinder RPG itself has developed over the last several years, players have expressed increasing concerns about the availability of replay, new players being overwhelmed or overshadowed by over-optimized characters, Chronicle sheet rewards not having much meaning, and other concerns related to the sheer amount of information and options available to PFS players. With the help of our dedicated venture-captains, the team here at Paizo has developed a solution designed to solve all of these problems—and more. We call this solution the Core Campaign, a new mode of PFS play that utilizes all of the campaign's current scenarios and resources—only with a significantly lower barrier to entry. Here are some of the highlights:

Introducing the Core Campaign

Monday, January 26, 2015

Illustration by Grafit Studio

As the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign and the Pathfinder RPG itself has developed over the last several years, players have expressed increasing concerns about the availability of replay, new players being overwhelmed or overshadowed by over-optimized characters, Chronicle sheet rewards not having much meaning, and other concerns related to the sheer amount of information and options available to PFS players. With the help of our dedicated venture-captains, the team here at Paizo has developed a solution designed to solve all of these problems—and more. We call this solution the Core Campaign, a new mode of PFS play that utilizes all of the campaign's current scenarios and resources—only with a significantly lower barrier to entry. Here are some of the highlights:

The current Pathfinder Society campaign remains unchanged with use of all of Additional Resources. It is still named Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The new option will be titled Pathfinder Society Core Campaign. Both campaign "modes" use the same scenarios, modules, and other sanctioned adventure resources.

Every new and veteran player may participate in both the current and Core Campaign at the same time.

At no time may any trait, feat, equipment, magic item, skill, animal companion, familiar, or any other character option come from a source beyond these three resources unless it appears on a Chronicle sheet. Race boons found on Chronicle sheets may not be used in the Core Campaign.

If an item appears on a Chronicle sheet, a PC may purchase and use it regardless of the book it comes from, with the exception of a boon that opens up a different character race.

Just like in the current campaign, a player may receive credit once for playing and once for GMing a scenario in the Core Campaign; this credit is independent of player and GM credit in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign. This means a player can play once in each of the two campaigns and GM for credit once in each of the campaigns (four credits total, two per campaign), not including any limited replay opportunities established in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

At any point a player wants to transition their character from the Core Campaign to the existing campaign, they may do so. However, they may not bring that character back to the Core Campaign. As set forth in the current rules, a character may not have two of the same Chronicle sheet assigned to him, regardless of whether it was earned in the Core or existing campaign.

The Core Campaign offers limited replay opportunities for players who have already experienced an adventure in the standard campaign. There have been comments that veteran players have limited opportunities to play with new players and "show them the ropes." Opening up every adventure for replay an additional time allows for veteran players to play a scenario with a new player and still receive credit.

This initative allows for an immediate influx of four new play opportunities every month—two new senarios playable in the existing campaign and the same two scenarios avalable for play in the Core Campaign.

Game mechanics outside of the Core Rulebook, such as reposition and dirty trick, are not allowed unless a Chronicle sheet specifically opens it as a character option.

Retraining may be utilized as the rules currently allow, but only when a PC retrains to take an option from one of the allowed Core Campaign resources.

GMs will receive star credit for GMing a game, regardless of whether it was an existing campaign or Core Campaign game.

If a Core Rulebook option advises that something found in the Core Rulebook is clarified in the Bestiary 1, then the player uses that specific option out of the Bestiary 1 to meet the requirement set forth in the Core Rulebook. That would include, but is not limited to, animal companions, special abilities, summon spells, etc... Only the Bestiary 1 is available for these extra options outside of the Core Rulebook.

The next question I think people will ask is: when we will be able to start playing games in the Core Campaign? We're planning to have this system publicly available and ready for you to use later this week! When creating a new event, the new system will allow you to select if a scenario is being run in the existing campaign, Core Campaign, or both (for multiple tables of the same adventure). Likewise, when reporting data from completed sessions, the system allows the person entering data to choose to report which campaign the session was run in.

We hope that this new initiative, along with the new faction journal cards highlighted in last week's blog, will bring an exciting new energy to the campaign on a global scale. I look forward to reading thoughts about the new Core Campaign and how it will help your local Pathfinder Society community.

Pathfinder Society in Israel and Mexico

Jan 12, 2015, 05:18 PM

It's time to offer you a blog from two of our Pathfinder Society lodges in different parts the world. With the soon-to-be-released Hebrew and Spanish versions of the Pathfinder rulebooks, organized play should see growing activity in both regions. With that impending growth, I asked our venture-captains to write a short summary of Pathfinder Society play in their region.

Pathfinder Society in Israel and Mexico

Monday, January 12, 2015

It's time to offer you a blog from two of our Pathfinder Society lodges in different parts the world. With the soon-to-be-released Hebrew and Spanish versions of the Pathfinder rulebooks, organized play should see growing activity in both regions. With that impending growth, I asked our venture-captains to write a short summary of Pathfinder Society play in their region.

First, I present Yehuda Halfon's report on Pathfinder Israel.

Hello all! My name's Yehuda Halfon, and I am the VC of Israel. This is the story of our local Pathfinder Society lodge.

About a year ago, I listened to Happy Jacks RPG Podcast, a podcast that talked about PFS. That's how I first learned that Pathfinder Society scenarios can also be played in stores and online, not just at a convention. I started looking for PFS games around my area, but I couldn't find any. After a short conversation with a friend, Eran Aviram (now the venture-lieutenant of London for the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild), I decided to start a local lodge myself.

In April 2014, we participated in our big convention, Giborim ("Heroes" in Hebrew). We had 2 tables, where we ran Destiny of the Sands, parts 1 and 2. The feedback was amazing, everyone liked it, and asked for more. We did just that.

Since then we have had a presence in every convention in Israel, big or small. We started with two tables and have expanded to 18 tables at the most recent convention this past October at Icon, Israel's largest sci-fi and fantasy gathering. We also started forming regular groups in several stores around the country, such as the successful comic book store Comikaza 2.0. Thanks to my amazing VL and walking Pathfinder encyclopedia, Yotam "Defiler" Avni, we've expanded our reach beyond the center of the country, and we're running PFS games in the north as well.

In order to make PFS more approachable to the Hebrew-speaking crowd, Eran, Yotam and I are working as the translators of the Hebrew edition of Pathfinder for the local publisher, Monkey Time. We're using the new translated materials when updating our growing site, pathfinder.org.il.

We're working to gather all of the Israeli Pathfinder players and GMs together to form a big community for all Pathfinder games, including the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, and Pathfinder Society Organized Play. You can also check us out at our Facebook group!

What's next for us? Well, this April we're planning a huge launch event for the Hebrew edition of Pathfinder as part of Bigor, one of Israel's largest conventions. With the help of Monkey Time, we're going to celebrate the new RPG, along with our one-year anniversary of PFS in Israel!

Yehuda HalfonVenture-Captain, Israel

Next, I present Miguel Rosales's report on Pathfinder Mexico.

Hi! I am Venture Captain Miguel Rosales from Tijuana, Mexico. Let me tell you all the awesomeness of the Pathfinder Society in Mexico, including the Tijuana RPG scene!

In Tijuana, we have a large community of really cool people called Tijuana RPG. We gather in a store, which also serves as the headquarters of all geeky stuff happening in town. With the help of my good friend and venture-lieutenant, Antonio Argueta, and with the help of many other friends, we have founded an excellent Pathfinder community.

We are still growing and currently have 60 players. We also have our own annual RPG convention, where Pathfinder is the highlighted event, on the border of the U.S. and Mexico. I invite everyone to join us and experience Pathfinder Society with the Mexican people. We are very excited of all the new things planned for our lodge in 2015.

This year will be our third convention in a row and we hope to reach 300 attendees this year. It is also completely free. Any player, gamemaster, venture-captain, or venture-lieutenant is welcome to play or run a table at our conventions. We would be honored to have visitors from the other side of the border join as both players and GMs.

Tabletop RPG's are not popular in this part of the world and that's where we come in. We are working hard to promote this game because we love it, have a lot of fun, and make new friends. With the new Spanish language rulebooks, we hope to see continued growth. This is our favorite sport, and we will make it grow. We also have plans to kickoff for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game OP. We are looking for some volunteers to help run that, and if interested, please contact me.

I know there are people playing in others parts of Mexico. Unfortunately, I am not aware of any committed organized play happening in any other region. If anyone is interested in starting up Pathfinder Society where you live in Mexico, please contact me.

See ya around adventurers, and don't hesitate to come and visit us on this side of the border.

Miguel RosalesVenture-Captain, Mexico

Thank you to all of the VCs and VLs for kickstartng awesome PFS Lodges in Isreal and Mexico. I look forward to the additions of new venture-captains and venture-lieutenants in other regions in both of these countries and watching their continued growth with Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Keep up the awesome work!

Stories from the Field: What to Do When New Players Arrive

Dec 22, 2014, 12:00 PM

With several new changes to improve Pathfinder Society Organized Play on the way over the next several months, one of the things I want to do to add to that improvement is feature venture-officers' knowledge about coordinating and organizing game days, as well as tips and tricks for all aspects of organized play. It's one thing to offer advice from here in Redmond, Washington. It is another to offer advice from the field. At least once a month, I hope to feature a blog, titled Stories from the Field, that is written by a venture-officer who wants to give back to the community through the Pathfinder Society weekly blog.

Stories from the Field: What to Do When New Players Arrive

Monday, December 22, 2014

With several new changes to improve Pathfinder Society Organized Play on the way over the next several months, one of the things I want to do to add to that improvement is feature venture-officers' knowledge about coordinating and organizing game days, as well as tips and tricks for all aspects of organized play. It's one thing to offer advice from here in Redmond, Washington. It is another to offer advice from the field. At least once a month, I hope to feature a blog, titled Stories from the Field, that is written by a venture-officer who wants to give back to the community through the Pathfinder Society weekly blog.

Dominick Trascritti, the Venture-Lieutenant of Tampa, Florida, has written this month's Stories from the Field blog. I reached out to all the VOs, and Dominick was one of the first to reply. He does some incredible work in Florida, especially by organizing PFS at several large conventons in central Florida each year. Thanks Dominick! Below is the article he wrote for the Pathfinder Society community.

The lifeblood of any organized play campaign is new players. More players mean there are more opportunities for everyone to play. For the good of the community, it is essential we help them avoid an uncomfortable start to the Pathfinder Society. This article offers some good practices to encourage new players, which in turn work to build a community.

Illustrated by Lydia Schuchmann

Organizers, game masters, and seasoned players are the face of the campaign for those first four to five hours. Each has a role in that first session, and a smart organizer will take steps to ensure the player gets a good first campaign experience.

Setting the tone with the organizer, GM, and a few seasoned players avoids common mistakes. Don't badmouth other game systems, editions, or groups. Keep a positive tone about the community. Represent the hobby well. Everyone on that team answers questions or helps the new player find the answer. A player who asks questions is more comfortable and engaged.

As an organizer of a game day or convention, preparation leads to a smooth event. A smart organizer is ready for new players at every game session. It is a great idea to set aside seats or a whole table just for new players. Always have Pathfinder Society player numbers preprinted and a clean printed copy of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play on hand. Organizers should leave nothing to chance for that new player's experience.

Prepare a binder of the standard pregenerated characters for players to use and organize them so that its easy to read and select a character. Keep the binder filled with extra copies, and don't forget to have flyers for future events inside the front pocket. Using folders that fit inside a three ring binder looks good and makes it is easy to use and refill. I don't put blank character sheets or inventory forms in the binder. I try to keep it simple. Keep an extra set of cheap dice, pencils, and a miniature or two handy that you don't mind losing or don't mind giving to new players.

At the game day, make sure you arrive early. It is important to greet new players when they walk in and make them feel welcome. Give them the time to look around, ask questions, and receive a seat assignment. Often times a new player is a fish out of water, so to speak, so make sure to be considerate of the player's needs at what may be an awkward time for them. Learn their name and use it. Be direct, and keep it simple.

Make sure you give the new player a little attention while you seat them at the new player table. The Game Master is the second link in the chain. Introduce the table's Game Master and at least one other player. Give the new player simple directions and ask them if they need dice or a miniature.

Illustrated by Jason Rainville

The GM sets the expectations for the player by asking a few questions: what is the player looking for in an RPG or who is their favorite movie character. Use this to gently suggest a pregenerated character that might favor the new player's interest and playstyle. Sometimes new players want to make a new character before or during the first session. If there is little or no time to create a new character, explain that there are differences in Pathfinder Society and that keeping it simple with a pregenerated will start the action faster. Explain the 2nd-level rebuild rule and that they can use their own character at the next session.

Get the new player into the action right away. Explain the basics of the dice and character sheet, but save deeper explanations of game mechanics until the player needs to know the exact details. It is better to give prompts like "Roll a d20 to see if you hit" or "Roll a d20 to see if you resist being charmed" to a new player. Give them something to do, and they will feel part of the table. If they look frustrated, they are likely not having fun.

On the new player table, a smart organizer will "stack the deck" by including a seasoned player at the table to help others learn. This helps the GM focus on the game and running the table while ensuring the player has questions answered in a timely manner. A smart GM uses the seasoned player to give the new player a little attention. A peer who knows the ropes in the game is helpful to everyone and keeps the table moving.

As the game goes on, the GM should engage every player and treat the new person like part of the team. Nothing bores a new player like being treated as if they have a practice sword or only the "marshmallow" monsters attack them. A GM owes it to the player to present a challenge, even if the threat is more perceived than real.

Illustrated by Jason Rainville

The seasoned player can suggest actions for the new player, but let the new player control their own character. If they want to do something unusual, explain the consequences. Mistakes are great learning experiences. A new player that feels they pull their weight in the party often returns to the gaming table. Let the new player enjoy belonging as a member of the party.

When the game is over, explain the tracking sheet and the Chronicle. Give the new player the basics of the new character creation in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, and suggest they use the Core Rulebook to create their own character for the second session. Again, make sure to keep it as simple as possible. Explain that at the third session they might use any other books they may own that fit the theme of their character and are listed on the Additional Resources page. It is important to set the expectation that they will have to own books to get fancy feats, traits, spells, or any number of other character options. Telling a new player that they can use a shiny new character next session is a great selling point, so use it!

An organizer should talk to the new player after the session and chat about the recent game. Make sure to keep the conversation friendly, and address the player by name. Encourage them to come to the next game, and exchange contact information. Avoid forcing a hard commitment. It is better to give them wiggle room and leave a positive impression.

One-on-one interaction grows the community of Pathfinder Society players. It may be time-consuming to prepare and welcome new players, but the invested effort makes the community a more welcoming place for newcomers and returning participants alike. The Pathfinder Society is not for everyone but everyone is welcome.

If you have tips and tricks that have worked with recruiting and retaining new players, please share those here. As a community, we serve each other best when we share ideas and tools that make all of our jobs just a bit easier. Thanks again to Dominick for writing the very first of our Stories from the Field blogs.

This module is actually a set of three smaller adventures that can be played back-to-back to tell a bigger story, and there's a Chronicle sheet for each part of the module. If one of your characters is feeling particularly piratey, you can apply all three Chronicle sheets to her and earn a fourth sheet as a bonus! For even more swashbuckling action, combine this module's rewards with those for theSkull and Shackles Adventure Path to create a true Pathfinding terror of the high seas (it's now possible to get a character from 1st- to 14th-level playing almost nothing but pirate-themed adventures)!

End the Year on a High[-Level] Note!

Dec 8, 2014, 03:01 PM

In fact, this blog has been about a year in the making, ever since I took a copy of Paizo's second 64-page model with me over Thanksgiving break to begin working on that adventure's sanctioning document. It's been through about four revisions since then, each one not quite turning out as I had envisioned before other priorities put an end to my edits.

End the Year on a High[-Level] Note!

Monday, December 8, 2014

I could swear I've written this blog before, and I could swear it has started a different way each time.

In fact, this blog has been about a year in the making, ever since I took a copy of Paizo's second 64-page model with me over Thanksgiving break to begin working on that adventure's sanctioning document. It's been through about four revisions since then, each one not quite turning out as I had envisioned before other priorities put an end to my edits.

Something changed with this last go-around. I put an end to saying, "No, this is too silly to be a boon" and began asking, "What needs to happen to make this a boon?" I began taking out some of the weird limitations and tweaked the language in the Seeker Arc Option section (yes, a seeker arc option!) to make it easier to schedule and play. I began experimenting with ways to let the player choose the rewards. I began to open up some stranger options, and I began to write something other than a number in the "GP Gained" box. In the end, the Chronicle sheets began to look like the Chronicle sheets should for a high-level module full of clockwork, mutants, and gunpowder: awesome.

Occult Society Revisited

Dec 1, 2014, 12:08 PM

Almost a week has passed since the Occult Adventures playtest closed, and I've heard very positive feedback from the Design Team about the playtest contributions of Pathfinder Society players. Thank you for participating in the playtest and helping us tweak the classes and make Occult Adventures the best Gen Con release yet. Note that as of the playtest's conclusion, creating characters using the playtest versions of the Occult Adventures classes is no longer legal; only those who unlocked the ability to play a psychic character can continue to use that PC before the book's publication and inclusion on the Additional Resources page.

Occult Society Revisited

Monday, December 1, 2014

Almost a week has passed since the Occult Adventures playtest closed, and I've heard very positive feedback from the Design Team about the playtest contributions of Pathfinder Society players. Thank you for participating in the playtest and helping us tweak the classes and make Occult Adventures the best Gen Con release yet. Note that as of the playtest's conclusion, creating characters using the playtest versions of the Occult Adventures classes is no longer legal; only those who unlocked the ability to play a psychic character can continue to use that PC before the book's publication and inclusion on the Additional Resources page.

This year we put together something different for Pathfinder Society: we offered a four-part boon to incentivize playtesting and reward those who ran a lot of tests across a wide range of levels. The Chronicle sheet addressed a few concerns we have had during past RPG hardcover playtests, such as limited higher-level playtest reports and a glut of playtest characters running around the campaign between December and August using non-final versions of the classes. Mark Seifter and I worked together to build an incentive to assist the designers while also keeping the impact of the playtest to a minimum after it wrapped up. We also knew that unlocking that fourth and final boon would be difficult but that we wanted to reward anyone who was so dedicated to the playtest process.

I'm certain there are ways to improve the process even further, and I would like to hear your feedback on what went well and what could be better in the organized play playtest. Did this Chronicle sheet inspire you to try a class and provide feedback? Were you more inclined to test just one character to unlock as many boons as possible, or did you try out several classes? Did you or anyone you know unlock the third boon (6 play credits) or the fourth boon (9 credits)? Did the boons strike a good balance between being attractive and not being game-breaking? Did you find the Chronicle sheet easy to use and understand? These are just a few questions on my mind, and if you have related feedback about some other aspect of how we handled the playtest for Pathfinder Society, let me know here.

Occult Society

Nov 10, 2014, 12:00 PM

As many of you know, about two weeks ago the Pathfinder Design Team began the playtest for Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures, Paizo's upcoming hardcover book due out in the summer of 2015. I know a lot of you are already busy trying out the new classes in Pathfinder Society (there's a special Chronicle sheet available for download on the playtest's blog linked above), and in my conversations with the designers, they're thrilled to receive your feedback. In case you have tried out one of these six classes and not left feedback, why not do so now?

Occult Society

Monday, November 10, 2014

As many of you know, about two weeks ago the Pathfinder Design Team began the playtest for Pathfinder RPG Occult Adventures, Paizo's upcoming hardcover book due out in the summer of 2015. I know a lot of you are already busy trying out the new classes in Pathfinder Society (there's a special Chronicle sheet available for download on the playtest's blog linked above), and in my conversations with the designers, they're thrilled to receive your feedback. In case you have tried out one of these six classes and not left feedback, why not do so now?

Some of the Pathfinder Society players in the Seattle area recently invited me to join in an Occult Playtest run of The Emerald Spire Superdungeon, and I'm finding the new possibilities provided by these six new classes are extraordinarily fun; it's hard to settle on just one concept when there are at least half a dozen that call out to me thanks to the new mechanics and amusing backstory possibilities. One of the leading choices is a half-orc owlbear "shaman" who is actually a medium channeling The Bear and The Owl spirits. I had better decide quickly, because the first game is tonight!

What about you? Have you come up with any interesting ways to weave your playtest character into the setting and the Pathfinder Society? Have you and your friends enjoyed the playtest Chronicle sheet?

Starting to Look a Little Spooky!

Oct 27, 2014, 04:44 PM

In the United States and many other countries throughout Europe and the Americas (and likely beyond), the transition between October and November is a time for Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, and other festivals that mix spiritual significance and macabre imagery. Having grown up loving Halloween—no surprise, I suppose, given my love of playing other characters in RPGs—I like to include a spooky scenario on the schedule in October whenever possible. This year, Tom Phillips returns with his third scenario: Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Hall of the Flesh Eaters, a Tier 1-5 scenario that takes place on one of the Gloomspires, an array of ancient towers rising from the ocean west of the Eye of Abendego. This is a new feature of Tom's invention picked up from his 2012 Top 8 RPG Superstar submission (careful—there are some light spoilers in the link), and we at Paizo agreed it would be a great fit for Golarion. It's been fun giving Tom a lot of creative freedom to flesh out (har har) this location, and I know you're going to enjoy the creepy atmosphere and encounters.

Starting to Look a Little Spooky!

Monday, October 27, 2014

Illustration by Darren Ward

In the United States and many other countries throughout Europe and the Americas (and likely beyond), the transition between October and November is a time for Halloween, Dia de los Muertos, and other festivals that mix spiritual significance and macabre imagery. Having grown up loving Halloween—no surprise, I suppose, given my love of playing other characters in RPGs—I like to include a spooky scenario on the schedule in October whenever possible. This year, Tom Phillips returns with his third scenario: Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-06: Hall of the Flesh Eaters, a Tier 1-5 scenario that takes place on one of the Gloomspires, an array of ancient towers rising from the ocean west of the Eye of Abendego. This is a new feature of Tom's invention picked up from his 2012 Top 8 RPG Superstar submission (careful—there are some light spoilers in the link), and we at Paizo agreed it would be a great fit for Golarion. It's been fun giving Tom a lot of creative freedom to flesh out (har har) this location, and I know you're going to enjoy the creepy atmosphere and encounters.

The other scenario for the month is Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-07: Valley of Veiled Flame by returning author Nathan King. I really enjoy picking up old plot threads, and for years players and GMs alike have asked when they might see a use for one particular unique item that appeared on a Chronicle sheet many years ago. In this Tier 5-9 adventure, the PCs travel deep into the Zho mountains on the trail of a lost team of Pathfinders only to find an extraordinary treasure hidden among the peaks. I'd rather not spoil the plot for you, so I'll just leave you with this piece of art.

Also, you may have heard about the upcoming Occult Adventures hardcover book and seen signs about an upcoming playtest. In the past, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign has participated in the playtest phase of other hardcover books, and we intend to continue that tradition with Occult Adventures—with a bit of a twist: We will provide a Chronicle sheet available as a free download that incentivizes testing one of the new classes and providing feedback during the playtest window based on how many times you played.

Finally, I've begun experimenting with a new type of boon. I'll say no more on the subject, but I'm interested to hear what people think when they start seeing it on Chronicle sheets. When that time comes, I strongly encourage you to discuss it with spoiler tags or noting the spoiler nature in the thread's subject line, for I would appreciate players having a chance to discover it through play and come to their own conclusions first.

Open Call Thoughts

Oct 20, 2014, 02:15 PM

As I noted earlier this month, about three weeks ago I began really diving into the Open Call submissions and getting back to authors with feedback about their work. I'm more than halfway through the pile now, and so far it's been really productive. It looks like we might see Open Call authors showing up on the front covers of scenarios in a matter of months! I gather many of you are working on submissions now, and I'd like to share a few recommendations and tips that have come up frequently.

Open Call Thoughts

Monday, October 20, 2014

As I noted earlier this month, about three weeks ago I began really diving into the Open Call submissions and getting back to authors with feedback about their work. I'm more than halfway through the pile now, and so far it's been really productive. It looks like we might see Open Call authors showing up on the front covers of scenarios in a matter of months! I gather many of you are working on submissions now, and I'd like to share a few recommendations and tips that have come up frequently.

Scope: A Quest is a quick, self-contained adventure that is restricted to 2,000 words or less. Keep this in mind when outlining and writing a Quest, for it can be really tempting to try to squeeze a full scenario- or module-worth of ideas into this short format. The most successful Quests typically have a combat encounter and a brief non-combat encounter, and some are able to manage two combat encounters with style. I find that when a Quest tries to fit in three combats, it often comes at the expense of the background, area descriptions, or some other important section.

It's certainly nice to have a definitive end to a Quest, not a "to be continued." Sometimes longer adventures have that type of cliffhanger, but I'd rather your submission leave the players high-fiving and knowing they won rather than looking worried and feeling like they barely scratched the surface of the story.

Organization: Be sure you're modeling the overall organization of your submission after other Paizo adventures. Ambush in Absalom is an excellent reference for making sure you have all of the important pieces in the right place, including the Summary, Getting Started, and Conclusion sections. Where does the "Creatures" header appear in an encounter? What types of information appear in the "Development" section rather than in the room description? The more of this that an author can internalize and demonstrate, the easier it is to develop and use that person's work.

Subtiers: Pathfinder Society scenarios use a system of tiers that enable play at two different level ranges (e.g. Subtiers 1-2 and 4-5). With the exception of several early scenarios, every such adventure's subtiers are three levels apart, so it's important that you design your encounters so that the difference in the two subtiers' challenge ratings is three as well. That means if the lower subtier is facing a CR 3 encounter, the higher subtier should be a CR 6 encounter (not a CR 5 or CR 7).

Remember the Players: Keep your audience and the game format in mind when creating your stories and encounters. A Pathfinder Quest should be approachable enough that a group of somewhat experienced players are likely to succeed, so I would avoid including really powerful combats that are likely to devastate the PCs in a round or two. This is especially true for Subtier 1-2, where it is possible to leverage the challenge rating system to make a very effective yet low-CR creature that deals an average of [an average PC's hit points] per swing. Table 1-1 on page 291 of the Bestiary is a great resource for judging whether your NPCs are a reasonable challenge.

On a related note, also remember that the players are agents in the story limited only by their creativity. Unlike in a video game that presents an uninterruptable cut scene, the PCs have the potential to interrupt monologues and intervene when the villain tries to do something dastardly. Writing cut scenes into an adventure rarely goes over well, and it shouldn't appear in your Quest.

Stylistic Notes and Trends: Paizo's adventures tend to avoid future tense, passive voice, and second person references. Exceptions show up in dialogue and in a few other circumstances. If you find yourself using "you" or realize you've written "will" without referring to inheritance documentation or a type of saving throw, it's probably better for you to revise it.

Review Your Submission: Remember that your submission is a reflection of your writing and adventure design abilities. Reading your work out loud or giving it to a friend to read can help pick out a lot of errors, making it easier to wow your reader with your creativity rather than distracting him with grammatical concerns.

Once again, I'm excited to see so many submissions, and I hope that the recommendations above can help many of you create even more engaging adventures. Keep them coming.

Four Tales, Ten Heroes

Oct 14, 2014, 12:00 PM

Last year the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign introduced a new system for sanctioning Pathfinder Tales novels. Rather than create a Chronicle sheet for each new book, we introduced the "Pathfinder Tales, Volume IV Chronicle sheet," so named because it represented the fourth distinct set of four Pathfinder Tales novels. This means a player only needs to print the Chronicle sheet once to enjoy the benefits of reading four books. As has always been the case, a player must bring a printed or digital (legally obtained and including a watermark indicating such) book to a sanctioned Pathfinder Society event to unlock a novel's Chronicle sheet boon.

Four Tales, Ten Heroes

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Last year the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign introduced a new system for sanctioning Pathfinder Tales novels. Rather than create a Chronicle sheet for each new book, we introduced the "Pathfinder Tales, Volume IV Chronicle sheet," so named because it represented the fourth distinct set of four Pathfinder Tales novels. This means a player only needs to print the Chronicle sheet once to enjoy the benefits of reading four books. As has always been the case, a player must bring a printed or digital (legally obtained and including a watermark indicating such) book to a sanctioned Pathfinder Society event to unlock a novel's Chronicle sheet boon.

It's my pleasure to announce that "Pathfinder Tales, Volume V" is now available for download. This Chronicle sheet sanctions Stalking the Beast, The Dagger of Trust, Skinwalkers, and, The Redemption Engine for the organized play campaign. As was the case for Volume IV, this most recent installment also grants one of your characters a permanent boon if you have all four novels. You can download it from the Additional Resources page or any of the product pages.

Illustrations by Eric Belisle

Of course, with Nightblade just about to hit shelves, we're only a few months away from needing "Pathfinder Tales, Volume VI." Best get reading!

Update: Open Call!

Oct 6, 2014, 12:00 PM

With the recent release of The Silverhex Chronicles, I've been really excited about Quests. The short, fun adventures are easy to use as demos at conventions and game days, and now that we have a solid way to give Pathfinder Society Organized Play characters credit for playing them, I think they're going to get a lot of traction in the community. Several writers from the last batch of Quests came from the Open Call, and since I'm already excited about Quests, the last several days have been a great opportunity to read through more submissions. I've gone through a large swath of the Open Call's inbox, reviewed those submissions, and nearly finished sending out responses—including feedback—to those authors. I'll be reading through more in the coming weeks.

Update: Open Call!

Monday, October 6, 2014

"Why haven't you been writing for us all along?"Illustration by Tayler Fischer

With the recent release of The Silverhex Chronicles, I've been really excited about Quests. The short, fun adventures are easy to use as demos at conventions and game days, and now that we have a solid way to give Pathfinder Society Organized Play characters credit for playing them, I think they're going to get a lot of traction in the community. Several writers from the last batch of Quests came from the Open Call, and since I'm already excited about Quests, the last several days have been a great opportunity to read through more submissions. I've gone through a large swath of the Open Call's inbox, reviewed those submissions, and nearly finished sending out responses—including feedback—to those authors. I'll be reading through more in the coming weeks.

As noted back when the "Write for Pathfinder Society" adventure pitch turned into the Open Call, reviewing a Quest gives the developer a much better sense of how a prospective author can assemble encounters, execute stories, and wield the English language. As the medium for publishing these adventures has transitioned from individual entries in independent publications to larger compilations roughly the size of a full scenario, it's a little trickier to pick up and publish a submission, yet I've already seen a few that might find their way into a future product.

Even if your first submission didn't meet Paizo's standards, learn from the feedback, practice those skills, and try again. My best authors are the ones who have handled criticism well and incorporated it into the next project. If you haven't submitted an adventure to the Open Call yet, what are you waiting for? This could be your first step toward writing for Paizo!

Quests for All!

Sep 29, 2014, 03:30 PM

Pathfinder Society Organized Play serves many purposes, among them the opportunity for a group to sit down and play a short adventure. Most scenarios have a run-time of 4-5 hours, but even that can be a little too long for some people, schedules, and venues. Sometimes it's just a matter of finishing one game early and needing something quick to play to pass the time until the next convention slot begins. Over three years ago, the campaign introduced a solution: Quests. The first was "Ambush at Absalom," which appeared in Kobold Quarterly #17, followed a little over a year later by "Urge to Evolve" in the publication's final issue, #23. Since then, the campaign has produced several series of demos released at major conventions or as part of a major product release.

Quests for All!

Monday, September 29, 2014

Pathfinder Society Organized Play serves many purposes, among them the opportunity for a group to sit down and play a short adventure. Most scenarios have a run-time of 4-5 hours, but even that can be a little too long for some people, schedules, and venues. Sometimes it's just a matter of finishing one game early and needing something quick to play to pass the time until the next convention slot begins. Over three years ago, the campaign introduced a solution: Quests. The first was "Ambush at Absalom," which appeared in Kobold Quarterly #17, followed a little over a year later by "Urge to Evolve" in the publication's final issue, #23. Since then, the campaign has produced several series of demos released at major conventions or as part of a major product release.

These have worked really well as introductions for new players of any age, yet the feedback I've heard is that they're not an attractive option for more experienced players. Is that an issue? Thinking back to myriad discussion threads inquiring about adding more Tier 1–5 scenarios to the schedule, I believe the answer is yes. Any chance to sit experienced players with newer ones is an opportunity to build the community, share tips, and impart good roleplaying values. To facilitate this, the experience should provide an incentive to make it more immediately worthwhile for the veterans as well as sufficiently appealing for the beginners to keep playing. The feedback I received about previous Quests was that no matter how fun they were, they provided no gold, XP, or Prestige Points to participants. No rewards meant virtually no use.

So what should a successful set of Quests do?

Deliver a Society-friendly RPG experience that lasts about one hour

Provide a solid introduction (i.e. diverse, fun, and generally nonlethal) for new players

Reward participants with gold, XP, and Prestige Points

Serve as a testing ground for new authors.

These were my goals when assigning and developing the latest batch of Quests, a six-part series called The Silverhex Chronicles. While working on the outline, I also remembered conversations I had with venture-captains over the past year, requesting 2-hour adventures that could be played on a weekday evening yet had enough substance to warrant traveling to a game day. Changing the 1-hour model was unlikely, but it was possible to link the Quests to one another loosely as part of a longer, flexible story that participants could experience in any order.

Balancing the rewards structure was tricky. If the Chronicle sheet were to provide only gold or Prestige Points but not XP, then a PC could complete the adventure and get ahead of the wealth curve. If the Quests were to provide minimal gold and Prestige Points with 1 XP, then veteran players would consider them suboptimal and avoid them. Instead, the Chronicle sheet provides scaling rewards depending on how many of the Quests one finishes before starting a different scenario. It's even possible to play the Quests over multiple sessions or with different groups and still get the full rewards. What's more, these Quests are replayable.

Of course, I had to find authors for the series, so I took this as an opportunity to draw upon the Open Call submissions. I wasn't disappointed. Josh Foster, Scott Sharplin, and Walter Sheppard did a great job of working together to integrate their adventures and vary the types of challenges presented so that these Quests provide a wide range of combat, roleplaying, and puzzle-solving opportunities.

The series was a blast at Gen Con. It was a hit at PAX. Now it's available as a free download to the public. Let us know what you think!

Bad news, to me, is like mayonnaise—unpalatable on its own, but a mere unpleasant surprise when it sneaks into the middle of an otherwise delicious sandwich. So your mayo in this blog post can be found in the middle, surrounded by tasty fixins'.

Bad news, to me, is like mayonnaise—unpalatable on its own, but a mere unpleasant surprise when it sneaks into the middle of an otherwise delicious sandwich. So your mayo in this blog post can be found in the middle, surrounded by tasty fixins'.

Card Game Tuesdays

The card game team is excited to announce the beginning of the Tuesday card game blog series! Various members of the team will pop in here each week and give you the latest and greatest news and ramblings about new releases, Adventure Card Guild organized play, and whatever else we think you'd enjoy reading. This blog is the first in that series.

Adventure Card Guild Sneak Peek

Avast! Sharks sighted on the starboard bow! Something's stirred up a shoal of sharks. You've seen their fins swimming alongside your ship for days, and sharks are as patient as they are hungry. Could it be that someone else is swimming alongside them?

You'll find out in Scenario 1-2 of Season of the Shackles, The Lone Shark.

DURING THIS SCENARIO

Put the Shark Island location card in the center of the table. Using the deck list from Shark Island, make a number of Shark Island stacks equal to the number of characters. Treat each of these stacks as a unique Shark Island location deck.

duunnn duunn... duuuun duunn...

Adventure Card Guild Launch Delayed

Unfortunately (and probably due to a sudden spike in shark attacks), the Class Decks required for Adventure Card Guild play will not be making it to your local retailer until next week. Season of the Shackles will launch next Wednesday, October 1st.

We're as disappointed as you are, but we strongly encourage you to stop by your friendly local game store this week so you can play On the Horizon, our new preview scenario. For this scenario, all that's needed is the Skull & Shackles base set, as the scenario's meant to be played with Skull & Shackles characters. Players will earn a free deck upgrade for their Adventure Card Guild character in the form of a mini-Chronicle sheet!

Iconic Heroes and the Adventure Card Game

Finally, to wash down the taste of that nasty mayo, I've got a spoiler from the upcoming line of WizKids' Iconic Heroes miniatures line and the associated promo cards for the card game. Behold Alahazra, prophet of the burning sands:

Catching Up

Aug 25, 2014, 01:49 PM

With Gen Con come and gone (see Mike Brock's blog updates and photos here, here, here, and here), and the tricky journey home a thing of the past, one might think that the Pathfinder Society production schedule would more relaxed. That's true relatively speaking, but we've still been busy catching up on Pathfinder Module and Pathfinder Adventure Path sanctioning. Emerald Spire's Chronicle sheets are nearing completion, and the remainder of Mummy's Mask is soon to follow.

Catching Up

Monday, August 25, 2014

Illustration by Jakub Witowski

With Gen Con come and gone (see Mike Brock's blog updates and photos here, here, here, and here), and the tricky journey home a thing of the past, one might think that the Pathfinder Society production schedule would more relaxed. That's true relatively speaking, but we've still been busy catching up on Pathfinder Module and Pathfinder Adventure Path sanctioning. Emerald Spire's Chronicle sheets are nearing completion, and the remainder of Mummy's Mask is soon to follow.

Speaking of recent publications, I realized to my chagrin that the art for an important NPC in Pathfinder Society Scenario #6-03: The Technic Siege never made it into the scenario. I'm particularly excited about this piece, as the individual depicted is not only a longtime resident of Nantambu, the Mwangi city famed for the Magaambya school of magic; she's also an aasimar. I suspect this won't be the first time we see the "Dealer in Dreams both Tangible and Ephemeral" known as Aya Allahe.

IT'S ALIIIIIIIIVE!

Aug 12, 2014, 10:00 AM

I'm pleased, proud, and exhausted to announce that the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild Guide to Organized Play is now available for download! The card game team and our estimable Venture Officer community have put in many hours to bring this document to you, so we hope you enjoy it. We'll have printed copies available to read for those of you playing in the program at Gen Con, but for now, grab the PDF and get to reading!

IT'S ALIIIIIIIIVE!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Hey, Pathfinders.

I'm pleased, proud, and exhausted to announce that the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild Guide to Organized Play is now available for download! The card game team and our estimable Venture Officer community have put in many hours to bring this document to you, so we hope you enjoy it. We'll have printed copies available to read for those of you playing in the program at Gen Con, but for now, grab the PDF and get to reading!

If you're coming to Gen Con but don't have tickets for the sold-out Adventure Card Guild events, we might still be able to seat you with a generic ticket if you come to room 232 in the convention center. I recommend coming 15 minutes before slot start time to see if we can accommodate you.

As announced last weekend, due to a necessary delay in Class Deck shipments, Adventure Card Guild play will begin on Wednesday, September 3 at a store near you, with new scenarios released each Wednesday (except for Christmas and New Year's Eve Day) for the rest of the six-month Season of the Shackles! Don't see your store in the locator? Then they're not part of the program yet! Tell them to sign up and make sure they check the box to tell us they want to participate in the Pathfinder Society Adventure Card Guild!

Guide 6.0 and Changes to Pathfinder Society Organized Play

Aug 11, 2014, 12:00 PM

With Gen Con just four days away, we wanted to release the new and improved Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play (version 6.0) today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. With the help of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, we have added several much-needed changes that we think will improve your experiences in Pathfinder Society play.

Guide 6.0 and Changes to Pathfinder Society Organized Play

Monday, August 11, 2014

With Gen Con just four days away, we wanted to release the new and improved Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play (version 6.0) today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. With the help of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, we have added several much-needed changes that we think will improve your experiences in Pathfinder Society play.

Most notably, the following changes will go into effect on August 14 when Season six kicks off at Gen Con:

The nation-based factions have transitioned to ideal-based factions. These new factions borrow some traits from past factions and introduce several new traits. Those who already have faction traits no longer appearing in the Guide to Organized Play keep those traits, but they are no longer available as options for new characters. If you are currently playing in a online game (PbP, VTT, etc..), you may finish the game with your character in its current faction. After the game is complete, you should immediately transition to one of the newer factions, with the exception of Grand Lodge and Silver Crusade.

Updated the faction goals for season six.

Added a new section in Chapter Five for special rules pertaining to Season 6, including information about time-worn technology and glitches.

Updated the shirts available for free reolls, including the new ones that go on sale at Gen Con.

Updated the art throughout to reflect the theme of season six.

There are quite a few more changes from version 5.1 to 6.0 so make sure to brush up on it before the new season starts.

Additionally, we have released the update to Additional Resources, including all of July and August books. That means you are able to get a few days to decide what new class you want to build from the Advanced Class Guide.

Finally, the Quick Start Guide has been updated to reflect the color scheme of season six, as well as a few changes in the text to match what is listed in the Guide.

We look forward to seeing all of the awesome VOs, GMs, and players at Gen Con, and are looking forward to an even more awesome campaign in the upcoming Year of the Sky Key. We sincerely appreciate everyone who provided feedback for the changes to the Guide for working together to make our organized play campaign the best itcan be for the player base, GMs, coordinators, and Venture-Officers. Feel free to pull us aside at Gen Con to chat about any or all of the above changes.

Mike Brock and John ComptonGlobal Organized Play Coordinator and Developer

New Options

Jul 14, 2014, 02:45 PM

The Year of the Sky Key, Season 6 of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign, is approaching, and that means the new Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play is on its way. It's still a few weeks before we preview the new guide, but we can share a few new options available at the start of Season 6. In fact, there's something for players and something for GMs and organizers.

New Options

Monday, July 14, 2014

The Year of the Sky Key, Season 6 of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign, is approaching, and that means the new Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play is on its way. It's still a few weeks before we preview the new guide, but we can share a few new options available at the start of Season 6. In fact, there's something for players and something for GMs and organizers.

I imagine you've already spotted the art and guessed that expanded race access is one announcement—spot on. Just as non-standard race access is a hot topic on the messageboards, it's a common talking point during our meetings. It's tough to balance the lure of race boons for conventions against letting as many people as possible play the types of characters they want. Add to that the heated discussions about whether or not some non-standard races are overpowered and the concerns about the so-called "cantina effect." That's a lot to juggle when making a decision, but we decided that introducing a few new options would be best for the campaign. Beginning August 14th 2014 at Gen Con, three new races will be available for play without requiring a special Chronicle sheet: kitsune, nagaji, and wayang. These races have been in circulation through extra Chronicle sheets for nearly three years now, and even though some players have had an opportunity to create these characters, we want newer players to have new options to enjoy. Like other race options, it is still necessary that a player have a book or watermarked pdf reference for the race, such as from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Dragon Empires Gazetteer, Pathfinder Player Companion: Dragon Empires Primer, Pathfinder RPG: Advanced Race Guide, or Pathfinder RPG Bestiary: Bestiary 4.

For several years, aasimar and tieflings have enjoyed a prominent role in the Pathfinder Society, but as the organization concludes its work in Mendev—where numerous pit-born fight for recognition and heaven-blooded warriors wage holy war—it's time for them to step back. Beginning on August 14th, creating an aasimar or tiefling character will require a special Chronicle sheet, as was the case years ago. The exception is any aasimar or tielfing character with at least 1 XP; these characters are grandfathered into the campaign.

Does this mean you can create several new characters, play a scenario with each, and have several native outsiders waiting for when you need them? Well, we debated long and hard whether to require 4 XP per character, as at that point one is past the free rebuilding stage. However, we also recognized this as unnecessarily punitive to casual players who may only be able to play once or twice in the next month. To answer your question, yes, you can make 10 aasimars and play The Confirmation an equal number of times, but we're trusting you'll exercise some good taste and respect a decision made with the larger community in mind.

Now that we've covered the more controversial news, let's wrap things up with something outright awesome.

We (both Mike and John) both have experience as venture-officers and event coordinators, and we understand that sometimes it's tough to convince a new player to commit to a full 4-5 hour experience. Some events just are not conducive to running a full game, whether that's because it's a weeknight with lots of folks who need to get to bed early or because the location is only open for a few hours. What do you do when a scenario just isn't short enough?

For years the answer has been quests, one-hour mini-adventures intended to last an hour or less. They're great little adventures, but they're a little difficult to schedule for a few reasons. First, there's no easy way to tell a bigger story by connecting a few quests together. Second, the quests—though replayable—offer no gold, XP, or Prestige Points, giving them a reputation of risk for little reward. The most difficult hurdle is that there are only two of them in print (not counting the Goblin Attack demos or Beginner's Box Bash demos).

This year at Gen Con, we're debuting six new 1st-level Pathfinder Quests that take place in and around the River Kingdoms. Each one is a standalone adventure, but they are all loosely tied into a common plot thread, allowing a GM to combine anywhere from two to all six to make a larger adventure as suits the needs of the group and event location. Play them in any order—one can even play the finale quest early—and earn a Chronicle sheet with rewards that scale based on the number of adventures you played.

John Compton and Mike BrockDeveloper and Global Organized Play Coordinator

Faction Evolution, Part III: History and Politics

Jun 30, 2014, 01:04 PM

Three weeks ago, we briefly discussed the impact of faction PCs' decisions in the campaign and how these decisions have shaped the direction that these factions are going. The following week on the Know Direction podcast, John Compton expanded on what this evolution might entail for many factions: name changes, shifting goals, and even changes in leadership. Most recently, we shared how the Andoran an Cheliax factions are developing over time.

Faction Evolution, Part III: History and Politics

Monday, June 30, 2014

Three weeks ago, we briefly discussed the impact of faction PCs' decisions in the campaign and how these decisions have shaped the direction that these factions are going. The following week on the Know Direction podcast, John Compton expanded on what this evolution might entail for many factions: name changes, shifting goals, and even changes in leadership. Most recently, we shared how the Andoran an Cheliax factions are developing over time.

As advertised over a year ago, the so-called nation-based factions have spent the past season (or longer for some like the Cheliax faction) distancing themselves from their parent countries to embrace less territorial and more broadly philosophical endeavors. When the Pathfinder Society Organized Play leaders began discussing how factions would change, we looked at the reporting numbers contributed by players worldwide and carefully considered how the faction might change to reflect this information while still appealing to a large percentage of its members. For example, members of the Silver Crusade faction tend to be good guys, so changing that faction to be neutrally aligned would discourage a lot of players.

Both of our factions for today tap into the past in the hope of creating a better world, though their methods and vision of what constitutes "better" differ. Be warned that there are some light spoilers from Season 5 scenarios referenced below—particularly for the Scarab Sages and developments that appear in the Destiny of the Sands trilogy.

Illustration by Ben Wootten

Scarab Sages: Unlock the Wisdom of the Past for a Brighter Future

Nearly two years ago, agents of the Osirion faction brought a collection of Thassilonian relics to offer to the Ruby Prince Khemet III. One of these relics was cursed, and it afflicted the Ruby Prince with a terrible wasting affliction. Despite the faction's attempts to find a cure, they were unable to remove the curse, and the monarch resorted to powerful magic to be rid of it. Disappointed by Amenopheus and his agents both for overlooking the curse and failing to remove it, Khemet III dismissed the Sapphire Sage and the Pathfinder allies from his service.

Season 5 has given Amenopheus ample time to catch up on past projects, including researching the mysterious order of Jeweled Sages to which he belongs (and appeared to be the last surviving member). About a year ago we discovered that he is not alone, when faction PCs began to hear rumors about the Diamond Sage and learned the secret history of the Jeweled Sages (as well as how Amenopheus gained his power and wisdom). With the assistance of Osirion faction PCs, the two sages have reestablished their order independent of the Osirian state, intent on recruiting new sages to those replaced millennia ago, securing ancient secrets, and disseminating that lore to modern innovators to spark a new golden age of thought and technology. Working with the Pathfinder Society to unearth these secrets is only logical.

How will the Osirion faction be different? Although the faction may not be a direct agent of Osirion, there's still a great deal in that nation that ties into the Jeweled Sages; the faction will still have plenty to do in its old stomping ground. The faction is also interested in recruiting new sages, which means recovering the lost sage jewels and finding worthy inheritors of that power. The leadership of the faction remains up in the air, so there's still time to influence that aspect. Despite these subtle shifts, the faction remains a strong choice for scholars and Osirion enthusiasts alike.

Sovereign Court: Nobility United for a Common Cause

For an empire in decline, war is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand it drains resources from already dwindling coffers. On the other hand, it provides a cause to rally behind, spurring squabbling houses to cooperate and struggling industries to increase production. Such was Lady Gloriana Morilla's thinking when she tried to convince the Taldan nobility to send more support to Mendev to combat the Worldwound. In numerous campaigns that united nations against a common evil, Taldor had led the charge, so why not do so again and return Taldor to the spotlight?

Although Lady Morilla found a few like-minded allies at home, many of her peers laughed off the idea. Sending more troops north would leave the southern border vulnerable to Qadiran aggression, argued some, whereas others simply laughed off the idea as idle fancy by an upstart who had spent more time in Absalom than in Oppara. Since words were not enough, Lady Morilla raised a self-styled Army of Exploration (which sees action in an upcoming scenario) with the assistance of Taldor faction PCs. The idea had been to inspire Taldor's leadership to party less and lead more. In this regard she failed, for the majority have not changed their attitudes and view her campaign as an amusing curiosity. Taldor is not a lost cause, but its inertia is too great for the faction to change it on its own.

Instead, Lady Morilla is examining some of the unintended fruits of the faction's work—in particular the stronger relationships she has with several noble houses in other nations. What if, rather than work exclusively in Taldor, the faction instead worked through other nations' leadership to create a network of like-minded aristocrats that all promote the virtues of nobility and strong governance? This secretive sovereign court would have an agenda all its own, not one tied to any one nation. Under Lady Morilla's leadership, the faction focuses on second-tier nobility of each nation, using them to act as the powers behind their respective thrones to steer national policy. Perhaps years or decades in the future, this shared vision will birth a new continent-spanning empire through politics rather than conquest—one that will bring prosperity and peace to the Inner Sea region.

What does this mean for the Taldor faction? Glory and politics are still central themes for the faction, and it's still a great home for those who love both audacious action and court intrigue. Nothing stops PCs from being active in Taldor, but the goal is now something bigger and bolder. Of course, the Pathfinder Society is happy to have the Sovereign Court as an ally, for friendly nobles are more likely to allow Pathfinders into countries where the Society had once been banned.

Happy gaming!

John Compton and Mike BrockDeveloper and Global Organized Play Coordinator

Faction Evolution, Part II: Secrets and Liberty

Jun 23, 2014, 12:33 PM

Two weeks ago, we briefly discussed the impact of faction PCs' decisions in the campaign and how these decisions have shaped the direction that these factions are going. Last week on the Know Direction podcast, John Compton expanded on what this evolution might entail for many factions: name changes, shifting goals, and even changes in leadership.

Faction Evolution, Part II: Secrets and Liberty

Monday, June 23, 2014

Illustration by Alex Aparin

Two weeks ago, we briefly discussed the impact of faction PCs' decisions in the campaign and how these decisions have shaped the direction that these factions are going. Last week on the Know Direction podcast, John Compton expanded on what this evolution might entail for many factions: name changes, shifting goals, and even changes in leadership.

As advertised over a year ago, the so-called nation-based factions have spent the past season (or longer for some like the Cheliax faction) distancing themselves from their parent countries to embrace less territorial and more broadly philosophical endeavors. When the Pathfinder Society Organized Play leaders began discussing how factions would change, we looked at the reporting numbers contributed by players worldwide and carefully considered how the faction might change to reflect this information while still appealing to a large percentage of its members. For example, members of the Silver Crusade faction tend to be good guys, so changing that faction to be neutrally aligned would discourage a lot of players.

This week we're sharing the direction that two of our factions are heading (new faction symbols will come a bit later). Be warned that there are some minor spoilers from Season 5 scenarios referenced below.

Dark Archive: In Darkness Lies Enlightenment

It's been more than a year since Chelish officials condemned faction leader Paracountess Zarta Dralneen on false charges. Because the accusation and punishment were largely off the record, there was little context for Cheliax to apologize, formally withdraw the charges, or invite Zarta to resume her duties as a liaison to the Pathfinder Society. Even Zarta's agents have not escaped blame entirely. It's a bitter reminder that the servants of Hell are hardly forgiving.

Since then, Zarta has worked from Korvosa to consolidate what remained of her faction, and to her surprise, the Pathfinder Society has extended a hand to help on multiple occasions. As a result, Zarta finds her professional relationship with the Society has grown stronger. As her agents stay busy recovering powerful artifacts and tomes that they might use to track down the faction's enemies and defend themselves against future betrayals, Zarta has corresponded with the Society's leaders to carve out a niche for her organization.

What resulted is a major victory for the faction, for Zarta has convinced the three Masters that she and her agents are uniquely suited to handle dangerous relics. Not only does this cover for the evil artifacts that the faction has recovered, but it has also earned an invitation to begin cataloguing the vast array of perilous finds the Society has acquired and then promptly hidden away for later study. Zarta intends to accept the offer and found a dark archive, giving her faction access to untold numbers of forbidden texts and relics—purportedly to catalogue and better understand these objects, but also as a backdoor for her agents to gain power from sinister sources.

How will the Cheliax faction be different? Despite being estranged from Cheliax, the faction still values order and law. These are worthy end goals in their own right, and they are also potent mantras in maintaining a positive working relationship with the Pathfinder Society. Any betrayal of that trust must be a calculated one. In many ways, the new Dark Archive faction is still the “bad guy” option that the Cheliax faction has always been, but its reason for being welcome in the Society is stronger.

Liberty's Edge: In Pursuit of True Liberty

Almost a year ago, Major Colson Maldris learned of a thriving contingent of statesmen—many who had held noble titles before the People's Revolt—who had established themselves as the new nobility of Andoran. Of course, these career politicians were not embracing this lifestyle publically; doing so would invite criminal charges. Instead they have built up networks of political and economic power that keep them perpetually elected to office, in control of major industries, in a position to shape a new generation of leaders through favors and cronyism.

These corrupt leaders represent only a small fraction of Andoran's elected leaders, and much of the nation still operates in a manner true to its founding principles. Nonetheless, it is a chilling reminder that the great democratic experiment is not without its flaws. With the help of Pathfinder agents, Maldris has tracked down enough evidence to accuse a few criminals in high places, but his attempts to demonstrate how deep the corruption runs has met with pushback from both the crooked and the honest. So long as his faction operates as a direct extension of Andoran, the faux-nobility can track Maldris's attempts to root them out. The only way to save Andoran is to leave Andoran—at least for now.

What does this mean for Andoran going forward? Well, in some ways little has changed. For example, Maldris still seeks to help other throw off the shackles of tyranny and bring freedom to all people. Now, though, the faction's reason for doing this has expanded beyond altruism. In studying others' philosophies and techniques, faction PCs can borrow strategies that might help Maldris hunt corruption at home and abroad.

Happy gaming,

John Compton and Mike BrockDeveloper and Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator

Year of the Sky Key

Jun 16, 2014, 11:52 AM

PaizoCon 2014 is less than a month away, and traditionally that convention debuts the thrilling conclusion of one season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play and lays the groundwork for the exciting story arc that begins a month later at Gen Con . The Pathfinder Society is poised to march to Jormurdun, a lost dwarven Sky Citadel, but several of their sworn enemies have taken it upon themselves to claim the prize first. Of course, we can't let that happen, so gear up to tackle some major campaign villains at PaizoCon! On Friday evening, we're also doing a test run of "Legacy of the Stonelords," one of the upcoming season's two Special adventures.

Year of the Sky Key

Monday, June 16

PaizoCon 2014 is less than a month away, and traditionally that convention debuts the thrilling conclusion of one season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play and lays the groundwork for the exciting story arc that begins a month later at Gen Con . The Pathfinder Society is poised to march to Jormurdun, a lost dwarven Sky Citadel, but several of their sworn enemies have taken it upon themselves to claim the prize first. Of course, we can't let that happen, so gear up to tackle some major campaign villains at PaizoCon! On Friday evening, we're also doing a test run of "Legacy of the Stonelords," one of the upcoming season's two Special adventures.

What season is that, you ask? Well, no doubt you've seen this blog's title already. Nonetheless it's our pleasure to announce that Season 6 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play is the Year of the Sky Key, which kicks off this August at Gen Con Indy!

The Pathfinder Society team has really enjoyed reading the speculation about the upcoming season. For several years we've tied the season's theme to the Adventure Path that debuts at that year's Gen Con, as we did with "Jade Regent" and the Year of the Ruby Phoenix, "Shattered Star" and the Year of the Risen Rune, and "Wrath of the Righteous" and the Year of the Demon. To an extent this is also true for the Year of the Sky Key, which borrows from the technological theme of the "Iron Gods" Adventure Path; however, the scope is different this time around.

It's hard to deny Numeria's appeal and intrigue. For years we've received inquiries on the messageboards, questions during convention panels, and requests in person for more information about Numeria, and based on a blog post earlier this year, the organized play campaign is no exception to this phenomenon. The bounty of new books about Numeria and its technology provide some great adventure ideas that might inspire a few scenarios this year. So that's it, then—a year of robots, laser guns, and cybernetic prostheses? No, that's one of the Year of the Sky Key's many charms. Not everyone likes sci-fi peanut butter in the fantasy chocolate, and we respect that. What's more, introducing a glut of advanced technological gadgets in the campaign would impact the many adventures that precede (and likely those that follow) Season 6 in unintended ways. One can only imagine the havoc a particularly trigger-happy Pathfinder could inflict with a nuclear resonator or gravity rifle.

We have several adventures planned that deal with Numeria and its past, including the three scenarios set to debut at Gen Con. You'll find that many of these adventures don't take the PCs directly into Numeria, but they do involve the rare piece of technology smuggled out of that nation, the Technic League, and the sites influenced by Numeria's alien treasures. That said, we've made a conscious decision not to tie this season to its neighboring Adventure Path so closely for another important reason: it allows us to return to long-neglected lodges and reinforce the Pathfinder Society's founding goal—the recovery of lost knowledge and ancient treasures. During the Year of the Sky Key, Pathfinder agents will have numerous opportunities to return to places the campaign hasn't touched in years. Are you excited to see more of Qadira, Katapesh, the Mwangi Expanse, the Land of the Linnorm Kings, the Shackles, and Tian Xia—including whatever became of the thriving Lantern Lodge? Us too!

In the weeks leading up to the new season's debut, we'll be sharing more details about faction developments, the revised Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, and a few other surprises that we're really eager to announce. In the meantime, check out the Year of the Sky Key's new logo.

Seeing the popularity of the Season 6 scenarios, as well as some of the favorites from Season 5, we've adjusted the number of tables available at Gen Con for nine of the 10 slots, and more tickets are now available for those popular events that were sold out.
Finally, John will be appearing on the Know Direction podcast on this Wednesday, June 18th.

Happy gaming,

John Compton and Mike BrockDeveloper and Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator

Faction Evolution

Jun 9, 2014, 01:35 PM

Nearly a year has passed since we introduced the check boxes to scenarios' reporting sheets in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Perhaps you haven"t had the opportunity to GM a Season 5 scenario, so let me recap the idea. Almost every scenario in Season 5 has had four check boxes labeled "A" through "D," and the end of scenario provides instructions of which ones to check off depending on what happened during the adventure. Did the PCs ally with Team 1? Check box A. Did they ally with Team 2? Check box B. If they instead destroyed Team 1 or 2, check box C or D respectively.

Faction Evolution

Monday, June 9, 2014

Illustration by Damien Mammoliti

Nearly a year has passed since we introduced the check boxes to scenarios' reporting sheets in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Perhaps you haven"t had the opportunity to GM a Season 5 scenario, so let me recap the idea. Almost every scenario in Season 5 has had four check boxes labeled "A" through "D," and the end of scenario provides instructions of which ones to check off depending on what happened during the adventure. Did the PCs ally with Team 1? Check box A. Did they ally with Team 2? Check box B. If they instead destroyed Team 1 or 2, check box C or D respectively.

The results of those check boxes are included when the organizer reports the scenario online, and we/ve been using that data to watch trends and shape the storyline in increasingly visible ways. For example, the Qadira faction has recruited several trade partners over the past year, but some of their rivalries with one another have required the PCs to choose one to favor over the other. When I looked at the numbers reported from an earlier scenario, I saw the two of the parties were neck-and-neck, so they returned for a rematch in a later scenario. Another example involved choosing where to construct a basecamp, and after collecting data for a few months, I saw that there was a clear favorite. That choice decided the course of a recent scenario. Even seemingly innocuous matters like an NPC surviving a scenario allow you to shape future adventures when we determine what villains are still out there and harboring a grudge.

Data like these also contribute to the ongoing evolution of the Pathfinder Society's eight active factions. Back in April 2013 we revealed that faction goals might change over time. In fact, based on the storyline, character decisions, and player feedback, even a faction's alignment and leadership could change. Over the course of the Year of the Demon, the original five factions have all distanced themselves from their respective nations—some pushed away by troubles at home and others pulled toward greener pastures. No doubt many of you have witnessed these events throughout the season, and blog posts later this month will reveal these factions' new faces and interests.

Of course, any talk about changes to factions stirs up questions. Is my faction changing? Are you eliminating any factions? What if I don't like what is happening to my faction? Can I change factions for free? How long do I have to change factions? In brief, we're aiming to make any transitions as reasonable, painless, and fair as possible. We'll provide more details as we get closer to the new season.

Finally, I'll be appearing on the Know Direction podcast on the Wednesday, June 18th. I'll post more details here and on the Pathfinder Society messageboard as the interview gets closer.

Happy gaming,

John Compton and Mike BrockDeveloper and Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator

Harrow: Past, Present, and Future

May 27, 2014, 02:26 PM

For years the Harrow has been the domain of home games, literature, and lore, but due to a combination of the soft time limits inherent in organized play, the range of ways in which someone might cheat with a deck-based mechanic, and a wealth of other considerations that predate my work at Paizo, most Harrow-based options were never allowed. When Mike and I heard that Pathfinder Player Companion: The Harrow Handbook was on the product schedule, we started pondering how we might share as much of this book as possible with the campaign. We bounced ideas off a lot of folks, and in the end we decided to make legal nearly everything in the book as well as several previously banned Harrow character options such as the harrower prestige class from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide and the oft-requested Deadly Dealer feat from Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia, Birthplace of Legends. Expect an update to the Additional Resources page that includes these additions.

Harrow: Past, Present, and Future

Tuesday, May 27

Illustration by Cristian Chihaia

For years the Harrow has been the domain of home games, literature, and lore, but due to a combination of the soft time limits inherent in organized play, the range of ways in which someone might cheat with a deck-based mechanic, and a wealth of other considerations that predate my work at Paizo, most Harrow-based options were never allowed. When Mike and I heard that Pathfinder Player Companion: The Harrow Handbook was on the product schedule, we started pondering how we might share as much of this book as possible with the campaign. We bounced ideas off a lot of folks, and in the end we decided to make legal nearly everything in the book as well as several previously banned Harrow character options such as the harrower prestige class from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide and the oft-requested Deadly Dealer feat from Pathfinder Player Companion: Varisia, Birthplace of Legends. Expect an update to the Additional Resources page that includes these additions.

Excited? Me too!

Let's discuss some ground rules for Harrow use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. These are intended to keep Harrow use from bogging down gameplay while also providing GMs some assurance that everyone's playing fair and showing off the beautiful new version of the Deluxe Harrow Deck.

Using a Harrow-based character option that involves drawing one or more cards at random requires a physical Harrow deck. Substituting another deck of cards or using the dice-rolling option (such as the one presented in the harrower prestige class) is not an option. If you aren't using a character option that does not change based on which card you draw (such as just throwing cards with the Deadly Dealer feat), you do not need to have a physical copy of the Harrow deck.

When you are using a class ability that involves drawing one or more cards at random, the GM always has the option to cut the deck before you draw from the top. This is just a quick consideration to minimize cheating. The GM can also examine your deck at any time, particularly if she believes there's anything wrong with your deck.

Be considerate when performing a Harrowing. Many Pathfinder Society games are run in 4—5 hour time slots, so taking 10 minutes to perform an in-character harrowing might not be an option. Be prepared to flip cards, record results, and move on if the group is operating on a time limit. So long as you're exercising common sense and courtesy, there shouldn't be anything more to discuss here.

Lots of great options are about to be available. Go make something fun!

More Sanctioned Adventures

May 19, 2014, 05:33 PM

Convention deadlines love to monopolize my time, but I can't ignore some of the other great adventures published over the past several months. It's high time we sanction another Pathfinder Adventure Path and Pathfinder Module!

More Sanctioned Adventures

Monday, May 19, 2014

Convention deadlines love to monopolize my time, but I can't ignore some of the other great adventures published over the past several months. It's high time we sanction another Pathfinder Adventure Path and Pathfinder Module!

Mummy's Mask opens with "The Half-Dead City," in which the heroes explore numerous abandoned sites in a sealed Osirian necropolis. It's a classic task for Pathfinders, and as a result, I made sure to sanction this as a Tier 1–2 adventure that players can enjoy again and again. Of course, one cannot expect the disturbed dead to remain quiet, and they strike back in "Empty Graves," sanctioned for levels 4–6.

Illustration by Francesco Graziani

Of course, Osirion doesn't have a monopoly on intrigue and adventure. "Tears at Bitter Manor" begins in Cassomir on Taldor's coast and travels deep into the countryside. You may find some similarities to "The Dragon's Demand" in how it is sanctioned, such as the multiple Chronicle sheets that each grant 3 XP and 4 Prestige Points; however, this time the entire module is sanctioned for play—not just a large part of it. “Campaign mode" is still an option, of course, and there's a little something extra for players who are willing to go the extra mile when they play through the whole adventure. You may find the module's campaign cards particularly useful in that regard.

What? No, don't peek! Go play it! You can find the Chronicle sheets on the Additional Resources page or on the respective product pages.

What about that Emerald Spire Superdungeon? Yep, the plan is to sanction it, though I'm still in the earlier stages of that process. There's too much dungeon delve goodness for us not to share this with the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign.

Finally, I'd like to thank Nathan King for his hard work behind the scenes to help me sanction these and other adventures. Nathan's been a volunteer author of numerous boons dating back to Gen Con 2013, and he's also contributed to numerous other sanctioning projects. Much appreciated, Nathan!

Changing Seasons

May 5, 2014, 11:31 AM

This time of year is always special. Just take a look outside. For those in the northern hemisphere—well, I can at least speak for the Seattle area—flowers are blooming, the sun is out (mostly), and the afternoons have been delightfully warm. Yes, it's clear that the seasons are changing. Spring? Summer? No, I'm referring to Pathfinder Society Organized Play!

Changing Seasons

Monday, May5, 2014

This time of year is always special. Just take a look outside. For those in the northern hemisphere—well, I can at least speak for the Seattle area—flowers are blooming, the sun is out (mostly), and the afternoons have been delightfully warm. Yes, it's clear that the seasons are changing. Spring? Summer? No, I'm referring to Pathfinder Society Organized Play!

The Year of the Demon is on the home stretch, and there are another six scenarios in the works to conclude the Pathfinder Society's expedition into the Worldwound to explore the dwarven Sky Citadel Jormurdun. The path to the dwarven ruins is fraught with danger, though, starting when misfortune strikes the Society's basecamp. With the PCs' help, I'm sure the Society will be able to embark with their motley crew of allies accumulated over the past year. That small army is going to come in handy in Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–24: Assault on the Wound, especially when the Pathfinders come face-to-face with a pair of villains who have long vexed the organization during Scenario #5–25: Vengeance at Sundered Crag.

All of that effort will pay off at Gen Con 2014 with the debut of Pathfinder Society Special: Legacy of the Stonelords, an exciting delve into Jormurdun with some delightful twists written by Mike Shel.

Elsewhere in the world, Aaqir al'Hakam has returned home to mourn the death of his mentor, but darker plots are afoot in Qadira. Meanwhile, agents in Mendev must save their fellows from the fires of misguided inquisition in Scenario #5–22: Scars of the Third Crusade, and back in Absalom, the Blakros family approaches the Society with word of a powerful artifact sought after by their mutual enemy. The problem is that the artifact is secreted away in shadowy Nidal, which the PCs visit in Scenario #5–23: Cairn of Shadows.

Finally, as an added bonus, we're including an extra Pathfinder Society Special this year: The Paths We Choose. Written by Tim Hitchcock, a veteran author of Gen Con Specials, The Paths We Choose explores each faction's choices over the previous season including ways in which the faction's goals, means, and motives are evolving based on player choices.

Expect product pages of these and the first three scenarios of Season 6 soon.

Have You Seen Me?

Mar 31, 2014, 11:04 AM

The Grand Lodge has been positively humming with rumors that some of the Society’s infamous rivals are once again on the loose. Initiates have busied themselves printing fliers to alert agents that danger is afoot. Can you identify any of the faces in this rogues gallery?

Have You Seen Me?

Monday, March 31, 2014

The Grand Lodge has been positively humming with rumors that some of the Society’s infamous rivals are once again on the loose. Initiates have busied themselves printing fliers to alert agents that danger is afoot. Can you identify any of the faces in this rogues gallery?

News about Gen Con 2014 and Official Call for Gen Con 2014 Volunteers

Mar 3, 2014, 01:08 PM

For Gen Con 2013, I advised last year that we planned to make it the biggest and best Gen Con yet. And it certainly was. We scheduled 1,400 tables of Pathfinder Society over the four days. We showed the world our GM 101 and GM 201 workshops, Kid's Beginner & Advanced Tracks, and Beginner Box Introductions, Parts 1 and 2. Gen Con was definitely a success and Paizo's biggest showing in history. But we can make it bigger and better!

News about Gen Con 2014 and Official Call for Gen Con 2014 Volunteers

Monday, March 3, 2014

For Gen Con 2013, I advised last year that we planned to make it the biggest and best Gen Con yet. And it certainly was. We scheduled 1,400 tables of Pathfinder Society over the four days. We showed the world our GM 101 and GM 201 workshops, Kid's Beginner & Advanced Tracks, and Beginner Box Introductions, Parts 1 and 2. Gen Con was definitely a success and Paizo's biggest showing in history. But we can make it bigger and better!

Paizo will once again be a cosponsor at this year's show. What does that mean for Pathfinder Society? It means we return to the Sagamore Ballroom! We increase our playspace size, scheduling 150 to 170 tables per slot. Additionally, we also have two of the seven rooms that were used for Pathfinder Society last year. One of them will be used exclusively for Paizo seminars. The other room will have 10 tables and will be utilized for Pathfinder Adventure Card Game play.

We are planning to schedule 20 different scenarios, two Gen Con Specials, one Gen Con Exclusive, and two modules, We Be Goblins! and We Be Goblins Too! throughout the course of the convention.

The beginning of Season 6 Gen Con Special, The Paths We Choose, scheduled for Thursday night, will help us kick off Season 6 by showing off the achievements of many of the factions' Season 5 goals. As a tease, here is the short description as it will appear in the Gen Con catalog:

The failure of Mendev's wardstones set in motion not only a new crusade, but also catalyzed a change in the Society's various factions.

More information on the factions and surpirses upcoming will be offered in a series of blog posts later this year. This special is designed for levels 3—7.

The end of Season 5 Gen Con Special, Legacy of the Stonelords, scheduled for Friday night, will help us close Season 5 inside the Worldwound!

As a tease, here is the long description as it will appear in the Gen Con catalog:

At long last, the Pathfinders have reached the lost Sky Citadel Jormurdun only to find it already occupied by fiends and subterranean foes. The Society must mount an epic offense to explore the immense subterranean city while simultaneously driving off the squatters within. If they succeed, the Pathfinders may discover that the greatest prize is not the mountain fortress itself but the treasure that lies at its heart. The adventure concludes Season 5, Year of the Demon.

This Special is designed for levels 1—11.

The scenarios being scheduled for Gen Con are as follows:

Season 5

#5—06: You Have What You Hold

#5—08: The Confirmation

#5—09: The Traitor's Lodge

#5—10: Where Mammoths Dare Not Tread

#5—12: Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: A Bitter Bargain

#5—13: Weapon in the Rift

#5—15: Destiny of the Sands, Part 2: Race to Seeker's Folly

#5—16: Destiny of the Sands, Part 3: Sanctum of the Sages

#5—17: Fate of the Fiend

#5—18: The Stranger Within

#5—19: The Horn of Aroden

#5—20: The Sealed Gate

#5—21: The Merchant's Wake

#5—22: Scars of the Third Crusade

#5—23: Cairn of Shadows

#5—24: Assault on the Wound

#5—25: Vengeance at Sundered Crag

Season 6

#6—01: Trial by Machine

#6—02: The Silver Mount Collection

#6—03: The Technic Siege

We will be offering one exclusive on Saturday night. We will follow up Ruins of Bonekeep, Levels 1 and 2, with Bonekeep, Level 3: The Wakening Tomb also written by Jason. It is being designed for Tier 5—9 characters and again, will be particularly challenging and lethal. Ruins of Bonekeep, Level 3 will make its debut at Gen Con. We will only run level three one time at Gen Con so it will be a truly limited and exclusive event. On a side note, we will have a few tables running all three of the new Season 6 scenarios if you would rather not participate in this exclusive.

In regard to the Beginner Box Introductions, we have two different offerings again this year. During seven slots at Gen Con, we are setting aside six tables for these Beginner Box Introduction events. Both parts are scheduled with new players in mind. For Beginner Box Introductions, Part 1, it will allow for the first 45—60 minutes to be an exploration of the contents of the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box, explaining the rules, and reviewing the pregenerated characters. The final 4 hours of each slot will be playing through the four, 1-hour adventures. For Beginner Box Introductions, Part 2, the GM will assist players in advancing their character to third level. The Beginner Box Transitions, Player Pack, and GM Kit will be reviewed. Once those three free documents have been briefly covered, we will be offering up five 1-hour adventures as time permits. Much like the four adventures in part one, these will be utilizing only the Beginner Box rules.

For the Pathfinder's Kids' Track, we will be setting aside six tables at seven slots during the convention. We are focusing on players aged 6—12 and we will be using the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box for this as well. The Kids' Track is divided into two parts: the Beginner Track and the Advanced Track. Each kid's beginner track slot will be 2 hours long and each player will receive a check-off card. The first hour of each of the seven Kids' Beginner Track sessions teaches roleplay and rules, and reviews the pregenerated characters found in the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box. During the second hour, one of the four, 1-hour adventures used during the Beginner Box Bash will be played.

For the Kids' Advanced Track, we are focusing on children who participated in last year's Kids' Beginner Track, at a local Kids' Beginner Track session near their home, or for older children that have prior experience with Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The GM at each of the 2-hour slots will help the children level their chosen character to third level. After leveling is complete, the GM will run one of five new adventures designed using the Beginner Box rules.

We will be running each of the nine different adventures multiple times throughout the convention to allow flexible scheduling for children and parents. We will be restricting tables to four children players and are requiring a parent or guardian be present with their child (or multiple children if they have two or more interested in participating) for the entire 2 hours. The parent or guardian will assist the child when needed. But, we want to make this a good and memorable experience for the kids that attend Gen Con, who often find little they can participate in, especially with others their own age. We will be scheduling 24, 2-hour tables per day on Thursday through Saturday, and 12, 2-hour tables on Sunday, for the Kids' Track, divided between the Beginner and Advanced Tracks.

If a child plays all four different adventures in the Beginner's Track, he will be able to present his check-off card to HQ and receive a special certificate that celebrates his accomplishments. If a child plays all five different adventures in the advanced track, she will be able to present her check-off card to HQ and receive a second, different special certificate. Both certificates can be used on the child's Pathfinder Society character if they did to advance from the Beginner Box to the full Core Rulebook rules and participate in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. We may also have other give-aways or special prizes, such as dice and miniatures, similar to last year. I will be very picky when choosing volunteer GMs for the Kids' Track. I prefer to have school teachers and other professionals with experience dealing with children. I will consider GMs who are parents even if they do not deal with children regularly in their profession. If you are volunteering to GM the Kids' Track, please make sure to include all of your credentials. Also, since these are scheduled as 2-hour blocks, a GM will be required to run two Kids' Track slots back to back in a 4-hour block to count as one slot of credit toward GM rewards.

We will be running a new set of Pathfinder Quests inside the Sagamore and I do have a very few spots of 5-hour blocks for any GM interested in running those for players as they show up and fill the quests tables.

We are also bringing back the popular GM 101 and GM 201 seminars and need instructors to oversee the running of both. Both seminars will be offered on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Finally, I need volunteers who have experience with the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game, to run demos in the Dealer Hall next to Paizo's booth, as well as run tables in a break out room next to Paizo's Seminar Room, from 8 a.m. until midnight Thursday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Sunday. You can volunteer to work one or two 5-hour blocks each day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Sunday ends at 4 pm) in the Dealer Hall. Volunteering for any demo time will count toward your GM reward credit below, but you still must have a minimum of seven, 5-hour sessions to qualify for a hotel room as a Tier 2 volunteer.

Now, let's talk about the GMs and volunteers we need to pull all of the above off and make it the biggest and best Gen Con ever.

I need a minimum of 350 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games, Beginner Box Introductions, Kids' Track events, GM 101 and 201, and Pathfinder Adventure Card Game demos. I'll continue taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled, at which point I will create a waiting list in the event that a scheduled GM has to cancel their Gen Con trip for whatever reason. I also need a few Volunteer Assistants for each slot of the show. These folks will not GM during their volunteer slots, but will instead help me run Pathfinder Society HQ, including marshalling, collecting tickets, distributing GM packs, entering tracking sheets into the database, and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. Keep in mind these are very limited and likely to fill up in the first hour after the blog goes live.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at Gen Con 2014. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. Those that are able to spice up their event by adding 3-D terrain, props that stand out and the like, will be given first consideration for specific events. I will let you know the slots and scenarios you have been assigned as soon as possible. You may designate what tier scenarios you wish to GM but this is not guaranteed to be filled. I will do the best I can to accommodate your requests. My target date to have all GMs their assigned schedules is April 4. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule, before the May 18 event registration, with your friends and family who are also attending Gen Con 2014. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at Gen Con 2014.

When you email me, I need you to include the following information in your email:

1) What email is tied to your Gen Con account.

2) What email is tied to your Paizo.com account and what your message board user name is.

3) I need to know if you have received the purple goblin Pathfinder Society volunteer shirts at a previous show. If not, I need to know what size you wear.

Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Tier 1 GM Volunteers

Tier 1 GM volunteers are invaluable to making the show a success. Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 8 slots. Tier 1 GMs may feel free to volunteer for more than 8 slots if they so desire. I only have room for 160 Tier 1 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you won't be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2014 badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Marriott or J.W. Marriott Hotels

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A special PFS boon that gives the option of choosing a one-time complete rebuild of any level character OR the choice to create a character from one of the following races: grippli, ratfolk, samsaran, suli, or vishkanya.

Tier 2 GM Volunteers

Tier 2 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 7 slots. I only have room for 120 Tier 2 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier — it fills up very quickly. Tier 2 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2014 badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Marriott or J.W. Marriott Hotels

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A special Pathfinder Society boon that gives the choice to create a character from one of the following races: suli or vishkanya.

Volunteering for One, Two, or Three Slots

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A special PFS boon that gives the choice to create a character from one of the following races: suli or vishkanya.

When Volunteering...

Again, please be specific about what days and how many slots you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to slots and scenarios on an as-needed basis. I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help. You must have a gencon.com account and you must include your email tied to your Gen Con account in your email or I won't be able to get you a badge (obviously this is only for volunteers who are volunteering for 5 or more slots). Include your Paizo.com email account so I can make sure you receive the scenarios in your downloads. Finally, I need to know if you have received the purple goblin Pathfinder Society volunteer shirst in the past. If not, I need to know what size.

One Year, Lots of Help

Feb 24, 2014, 12:03 PM

Tomorrow marks my first full year at Paizo, and the 365 days have been busy ones. By my count that's 22 scenarios (Mark Moreland developed #4-20), one updated exclusive scenario, 2 specials, five quests, sanctioning notes for 25 Adventure Path volumes, sanctioning notes for two modules, GM 201, and a rather scary number of boons developed so far. Of course, a lot of that sanctioning and boon writing would have been a lot tougher had it not been for a growing cast of volunteers who help out behind the scenes. I’d like to thank everyone who has provided inspiration and feedback both on and off the messageboards.

One Year, Lots of Help

Monday, February 24, 2014

Illustration by Mathias Zamecki

Tomorrow marks my first full year at Paizo, and the 365 days have been busy ones. By my count that's 22 scenarios (Mark Moreland developed #4-20), one updated exclusive scenario, 2 specials, five quests, sanctioning notes for 25 Adventure Path volumes, sanctioning notes for two modules, GM 201, and a rather scary number of boons developed so far. Of course, a lot of that sanctioning and boon writing would have been a lot tougher had it not been for a growing cast of volunteers who help out behind the scenes. I’d like to thank everyone who has provided inspiration and feedback both on and off the messageboards.

Later this week a new scenario and a rereleased exclusive join the list, and I’m particularly happy with this second installment of the Destiny of the Sands trilogy. It’s another one of those adventures in which I really wish I could be there to see the looks on players’ faces when they get those Chronicle sheets. I’ve included a bit of art as a teaser.

GM Rewards

Feb 10, 2014, 02:29 PM

Season 5 is nearly halfway done. That means we've posted faction head letters (stickied) in the Faction Talk section of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play messageboard. We'll also be sending out the email update to registered Pathfinder Society players as an additional heads-up, and we're frequently exploring other ways to get the word out.

GM Rewards

Monday, February 10, 2014

Season 5 is nearly halfway done. That means we've posted faction head letters (stickied) in the Faction Talk section of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play messageboard. We'll also be sending out the email update to registered Pathfinder Society players as an additional heads-up, and we're frequently exploring other ways to get the word out.

Over the past three seasons, the Pathfinder Society campaign has published special scenarios that are exclusive to 4-star GMs, 5-star GMs, Venture Captains, and Venture Lieutenants—both to reward our top judges and to incentivize others to GM more and earn those stars. When Pathfinder Society Scenario #2–EX: The Midnight Mauler first came out in early 2011, the campaign had one 5-star GM, about half a dozen 4-star GMs, and 18 newly minted Venture Captains. We've since grown to over 50 5-star GMs, more than 150 4-star GMs, and 345 Venture Captains and Venture Lieutenants! Rather impressive!

Since then, we've introduced quite a few new GM rewards that continue to reward and incentivize the campaign's excellent volunteers to keep sharing their hobby with others: limited replay and the star bonus on "shirt re-rolls." Today we're announcing both a new reward and a change to how we're handling the exclusive scenario this year.

The Exclusive

This year we're releasing The Ruins of Bonekeep, Part 1: The Silent Grave as an exclusive scenario for qualifying GMs, who can now run the adventure anywhere. These GMs should see the scenario in their downloads early this week. Keep in mind that when qualifying for one's fifth star, all Ruins of Bonekeep adventures contribute to a GM's 10 required Exclusive or Special events.

GM Star Chronicle

Back when Mike first became Campaign Coordinator, I remember sending him an elaborate proposal for a GM reward system. Back then it was clunky, required heavy IT support, and accurately reflected how new I was to booncraft, so the idea faded from memory. We recently rediscovered those old plans, blew off the dust, and (with the help of some clever Venture Captains and Venture Lieutenants) revised the concept for distribution. In addition to being available for download from this blog, we will add these to the Free Products page in the next day or so.

The GM Star Chronicle sheet is a one-page reward that provides benefits that scale with a player's stars and a character's level. Each represents a character's tutelage and special training with one of the three Masters: Aram Zey, Kreighton Shaine, or Marcos Farabellus. When you meet both criteria for a boon (such as the GM having 3 stars and the character being level 5+), you can skip a Day Job roll or spend 1 Prestige Point to train with your patron and gain that boon's benefits. At this time, each GM can only select and assign one such Chronicle sheet. The exception to this limit is a 5-star GM, who can select and assign an additional Chronicle sheet to a different character for each additional 50 tables of GM credit he or she earns (two sheets at 200 games, three sheets at 250, et cetera).

Mid-Season Faction Updates

Feb 3, 2014, 05:32 PM

As quickly as they receive them, clerks in the Grand Lodge of Absalom are processing the reports from field agents across the Inner Sea. Overall, the results are very promising, and Society leadership agrees that despite the outbreak of the Firth Mendevian Crusade, plans to travel to Jormurdun are proceeding smoothly.

Mid-Season Faction Updates

Monday, February 3, 2014

As quickly as they receive them, clerks in the Grand Lodge of Absalom are processing the reports from field agents across the Inner Sea. Overall, the results are very promising, and Society leadership agrees that despite the outbreak of the Firth Mendevian Crusade, plans to travel to Jormurdun are proceeding smoothly.

Against this backdrop, the eight faction leaders have overseen their own projects and sent missives to their allies in the Pathfinder Society to update agents on their progress. You can read each faction head’s letter on the paizo.com messageboards. When the time comes, ensure that you represent your faction proudly in the following scenarios, all released during the coming months of the Year of the Demon:

Thanks for your participation in and feedback regarding the Year of the Demon. It’s exciting to see the check box results from reported scenarios. These not only help to steer the direction of our factions but also determine which NPCs might return in future scenarios as allies or as antagonists.

Official Call for PaizoCon 2014 Volunteers

Jan 27, 2014, 10:00 AM

For PaizoCon 2014, we plan to make this bigger than last year! I am scheduling 210 tables of Pathfinder Society over three days. We will be offering all season five scenarios multiple times, including the debut of the final four scenarios for season five. We will also be debuting a playtest of one of the Season 6 Gen Con Specials on Friday night. This is similar to the multi-table special that will be run as one of the Gen Con specials, but like last year, there will be changes made to polish the adventure for its final publication. Finally, we be offering the GM 101 and GM 201 sessions again. It should be an awesome time.

Official Call for PaizoCon 2014 Volunteers

Monday, January 27, 2014

For PaizoCon 2014, we plan to make this bigger than last year! I am scheduling 210 tables of Pathfinder Society over three days. We will be offering all season five scenarios multiple times, including the debut of the final four scenarios for season five. We will also be debuting a playtest of one of the Season 6 Gen Con Specials on Friday night. This is similar to the multi-table special that will be run as one of the Gen Con specials, but like last year, there will be changes made to polish the adventure for its final publication. Finally, we be offering the GM 101 and GM 201 sessions again. It should be an awesome time.

I need a minimum of 75 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games and I'll keep taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled! I also need 4 Volunteer Assistants for the show—these folks will not GM, but will instead help me run Pathfinder Society HQ and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. Finally, we need 6-8 volunteers for the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at PaizoCon 2014. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. We will let you know the slots you have been assigned to before the lottery goes live. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule with your friends who are also attending PaizoCon 2014. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at PaizoCon 2014.

Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Volunteer Assistant: 4 needed, treated as a Tier 1 GM

Tier 1 GM Volunteers: Tier 1 GM volunteers are my everyday GMs. They are invaluable to making the show a success! Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 5 slots. I only have room for 30 Tier 1 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you'll be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 3-day PaizoCon 2014 badge

A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions.

A FREE copy of one printed Paizo product of your choice valued at $49.99 or less.

A FREE PFS goblin volunteer t-shirt.

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.

Tier 2 GM Volunteers: While the rewards for volunteering for this tier are smaller, the majority of my volunteers will come from Tier 2. Tier 2 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 4 slots. Tier 2 GMs receive:

A FREE 3-day PaizoCon 2014 badge.

A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions.

A $10-per-slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including subscriptions.

A FREE PFS goblin volunteer t-shirt.

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.

While we will gladly accept anyone who wants to run just one slot during the show, there are no rewards for doing so other than our thanks.

When volunteering, please be specific about what days you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to scenarios on an as-needed basis, so you really only need to tell me the day(s) you're volunteering for. You may also include the tier of scenarios you are most comfortable GMing and I will try to assign you that schedule accordingly. I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help. You must have a paizo.com account and you must include your paizo.com email and message board name in your email to me, or I won't be able to get you a badge (obviously this is only for volunteers who are volunteering for 4 or more slots).

Slot 1: Friday 8 A.M. to 1 P.M.

Slot 2: Friday 1 P.M. to 6 P.M.

Slot 3: Friday 7 P.M. to 12 A.M.

Slot 4: Saturday 8 A.M. to 1 P.M.

Slot 5: Saturday 1 P.M. to 6 P.M.

Slot 6: Sunday 9 A.M. to 2 P.M.

All PaizoCon 2014 volunteers please email me at mike.brock@paizo.com with the subject line PaizoCon Volunteer.

Thanks in advance for volunteering, good luck, and have a great spring convention season!

Ancient Evil, New Opportunities

Jan 13, 2014, 01:20 PM

Seattle is rather far north by my reckoning, even though its proximity to the ocean keeps the temperature quite reasonable. It's certainly northerly enough to have some gloriously long days in summer as well as some long, dark, sunless nights in the winter. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? That's right. Vampires.

Ancient Evil, New Opportunities

Monday, January 13, 2014

Illustration by Craig J Spearing

Seattle is rather far north by my reckoning, even though its proximity to the ocean keeps the temperature quite reasonable. It's certainly northerly enough to have some gloriously long days in summer as well as some long, dark, sunless nights in the winter. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? That's right. Vampires.

Vampires love winter because they only have to "call it a day" for about eight hours before night falls again. Fortunately, the Pathfinder Society has a proud tradition of training undead-thrashing heroes, and I'm calling on all of you to do your part in culling the glut of shadow-loving ghouls, wraiths, and other such risen monstrosities by playing the Carrion Crown Adventure Path, which is sanctioned for Pathfinder Society Organized Play beginning today! You can find the rules and Chronicle sheets for Carrion Crown on the Additional Resources page and product pages for each respective Adventure Path volume.

Of course, the folks in the southern hemisphere aren't off the hook, either. I understand trouble's brewing in the Mana Wastes of Garund, and the Pathfinder Society will need particularly brave and powerful heroes to send to Alkenstar. Keep an eye out for more sanctioned material later this month.

Booncraft

Jan 6, 2014, 11:27 AM

The first project I ever did for Pathfinder Society Organized Play as a volunteer—really the start of my career—was creating boons, and by the time Paizo hired me, I had written about 100 boons for the campaign. Booncraft lost little of its magic when I took on the role of developer, and I continue to use boon-writing as a way of enabling volunteers to contribute to the campaign and, perhaps as importantly, as a means of testing out new and aspiring authors. I've had numerous folks ask me what goes into writing a boon, what makes a good boon, and how one goes about getting me to publish a boon. Let me start with good qualities.

Booncraft

Monday, January 6, 2014

The first project I ever did for Pathfinder Society Organized Play as a volunteer—really the start of my career—was creating boons, and by the time Paizo hired me, I had written about 100 boons for the campaign. Booncraft lost little of its magic when I took on the role of developer, and I continue to use boon-writing as a way of enabling volunteers to contribute to the campaign and, perhaps as importantly, as a means of testing out new and aspiring authors. I've had numerous folks ask me what goes into writing a boon, what makes a good boon, and how one goes about getting me to publish a boon. Let me start with good qualities.

Balance: A boon must be mechanically balanced. This includes it being balanced on its own, balanced in terms of the campaign, and balanced with regard to other boon options on a Chronicle sheet. If a Chronicle sheet has two boon options that a player can choose from, and one is far superior to the other, something's not quite right. A boon could also be great for a home game but have troubling consequences for Pathfinder Society. Finally, a boon might just not be balanced in terms of the game's mechanics. Most boons end up being about as potent as a trait; some might have a one-time use or have a niche application, but there's at least a rough metric for what is appropriate. It's reasonable for a boon's power to be greater if it's awarded at a higher level, particularly at 12th level and beyond.

Flavor: A good boon typically has some flavor text describing why it grants the bonus that it does. This not only explains the intention of the boon, but it helps to chronicle what the character accomplished to earn it.

Integration (modules and Adventure Paths): When developing a boon for a sanctioned adventure such as a module, it's important that the boon actually tie into the core product. I would be quite confused if I acquired a pirate ship during Reign of Winter, and I would scratch my head at learning special ice magic during Skull & Shackles. Reverse them, though, and things make a lot of sense.

Innovation: Boons—particularly convention boons—present a special opportunity because they are not print products and often have a limited time in which they're available. That means it's possible to experiment with new mechanics in ways that might not be appropriate for a new hardcover book. If the boon ends up being too potent or a poor fit for any other reason, the limited number of those boons will gradually disappear as those characters gain levels and become Seekers. If the mechanic is particularly interesting, word gets around, and other developers begin saying, "Hey, that's pretty cool!" It's only a matter of time before we might see it in a book or returning to a convention near you.

Wow Factor: I love boons that make players' eyes go wide with excitement, even when the mechanical bonus might not be very potent. It's usually obvious whether or not a boon has wow factor within a minute of handing out Chronicle sheets.

Narrative Potential (optional): Boons can provide a fun story-telling hook. This is the case for Missing Mentor, which sends the PC looking for a lost teacher over the course of five scenarios. The boon may only take 30 seconds to use each scenario for a fairly minor bonus, but the flavor of the boon makes the player think, "huh, who did teach my character how to be so awesome?"

A few of my most active boon-crafting volunteers have given me permission to share an earlier draft or two of their work to illustrate how a boon evolves from idea to draft to development to distribution. Keep an eye out for these in the coming weeks as well as a few sanctioning projects that are coming down the pipeline. In the meantime, what qualities in a boon make you excited? Using spoilers (at least for boons found in scenarios), are there any boons that really exemplify what a boon should do?

Digging Deep, Branching Out

Dec 16, 2013, 03:49 PM

Part of what initially attracted me to Pathfinder Society Organized Play was the archaeological background, which resonated with my academic training and love of traveling abroad. Playing scenarios that explored ancient structures, visited dig sites, or required the PCs to understand a foreign culture made me really get what the Pathfinder Society was all about, so when I began writing support material as a volunteer—in particular the convention boons for Season 4—I made sure to highlight some of the archaeological feel in boons such as Expedition Manager.

Digging Deep, Branching Out

Monday, December 16, 2013

Illustration by Jon Hodgson

Part of what initially attracted me to Pathfinder Society Organized Play was the archaeological background, which resonated with my academic training and love of traveling abroad. Playing scenarios that explored ancient structures, visited dig sites, or required the PCs to understand a foreign culture made me really get what the Pathfinder Society was all about, so when I began writing support material as a volunteer—in particular the convention boons for Season 4—I made sure to highlight some of the archaeological feel in boons such as Expedition Manager.

Let be honest, though. Even though archaeology has an alluring mystique and can be both enjoyable and rewarding, its virtues don't always translate well in a four-hour time slot. Perhaps one day I'll develop an engaging, short challenge that features the joys of excavation and systematic discovery without boring the socks off of the players. A developer can dream!

Well, let's instead take a look at that other feature of Pathfinder Society: travel. With about 40 countries in the Inner Sea region alone, there's a lot to take in and explore—and only so many scenarios each season to see it all. Ever since Season 3, we've focused on a particular part of the world and explored it in depth. What we haven't done quite as much as a result is travel widely to less understood, less frequented locales to explore, report, and cooperate.

I'm feeling the itch to send Pathfinders to a few exciting places, and I would love to hear your feedback about what regions deserve more attention. Have you always wanted to travel to an island in the Shackles? How about a return to Jalmeray? Does Lastwall call to you? These could be places we've visited before but haven't seen for a long time, or they could be places where no PC Pathfinder has ever set foot.

A Look at 2014

Dec 9, 2013, 11:24 AM

It's a busy time of year around the Paizo office as folks are working ahead to ensure that everyone can get their products on time even as the diligent editors, developers, graphic designers, and others look forward to taking a little time off. I spent much of last week outlining and assigning scenarios, and you should be seeing the product pages going up soon. Here's what to watch for:

A Look at 2014

Monday, December 9, 2013

It's a busy time of year around the Paizo office as folks are working ahead to ensure that everyone can get their products on time even as the diligent editors, developers, graphic designers, and others look forward to taking a little time off. I spent much of last week outlining and assigning scenarios, and you should be seeing the product pages going up soon. Here's what to watch for:

January

#5–12: Destiny of the Sands, Part 1: A Bitter Bargain (Tier 1–5)#5–13: Weapon in the Rift (Tier 5–9)

February

#5–14: Day of the Demon (Tier 3–7)#5–15: Destiny of the Sands, Part 2: Race to Seeker's Folly (Tier 1–5)

March

#5–16: Destiny of the Sands, Part 3: Sanctum of the Sages (Tier 3–7)#5–17: Fate of the Fiend (Tier 7–11)

Yes, that's right; the third scenario in the three-part series is actually one tier higher than those that precede it. This is the first time that we've jumped tiers during a named series, and there are very important in-game reasons for Part 3 being the level range that it is. Don't worry about having to play the three scenarios one after another, though; there are no plans to include a reward for consecutive play. Of course, there is something else that makes this series particularly special, but I won't spoil that just yet.

In the meantime, it's back to development. I want to make sure that everyone has the December scenarios to enjoy over the holidays.

Giving Thanks for Great Scenarios

Nov 25, 2013, 11:24 AM

Every time the last Wednesday of the month rolls around, emotions run high. Usually it's a mix of growing excitement as I watch a pair of scenarios metamorphose into awesome adventures and anxiousness as I hope that the players and GMs enjoy the scenarios as much as I enjoyed developing them. Given that the Thanksgiving holiday approaches in the United States, I think there's a little excitement about turkey, too.

Giving Thanks for Great Scenarios

Monday, November 25, 2013

Every time the last Wednesday of the month rolls around, emotions run high. Usually it's a mix of growing excitement as I watch a pair of scenarios metamorphose into awesome adventures and anxiousness as I hope that the players and GMs enjoy the scenarios as much as I enjoyed developing them. Given that the Thanksgiving holiday approaches in the United States, I think there's a little excitement about turkey, too.

Following in that tradition of giving thanks for the things we truly appreciate, I'd like to offer this short list of things I'm thankful for at this very moment.

I am thankful for having two returning authors who were each willing to accept a unique scenario-writing challenge.

I am thankful for the new Tier 1–2 scenario entitled The Confirmation by Kyle Baird, which allows infinite replay by 1st-level characters as well as one play-through with a 2nd-level character. There are many variations in how the scenario can play out, allowing players to have a different experience each time.

New Rules, New Ideas, New Stories

Nov 18, 2013, 10:34 AM

If you haven't heard, Paizo Publishing will release the playtest rules for the upcoming Advanced Class Guide tomorrow, Tuesday, the 19th of November. That's ten new 20-level base classes that combine features of the existing classes to create innovative options with both unique powers and familiar mechanics with novel twists. I'm sure that by the time you finish reading through all ten, you'll have multiple character concepts screaming to be put on paper.

New Rules, New Ideas, New Stories

Monday, November 18, 2013

Illustration by Diana Martinez

If you haven't heard, Paizo Publishing will release the playtest rules for the upcoming Advanced Class Guide tomorrow, Tuesday, the 19th of November. That's ten new 20-level base classes that combine features of the existing classes to create innovative options with both unique powers and familiar mechanics with novel twists. I'm sure that by the time you finish reading through all ten, you'll have multiple character concepts screaming to be put on paper.

These classes are available for use in Pathfinder Society Organized Play immediately upon the release of the playtest document. You'll need to have a print or PDF copy of the playtest document with your character, and you'll need to incorporate any changes established by the design team or campaign staff during the playtest as well as once the final versions of the class are released in August 2014. The Additional Resources list will have specific details about what is allowed in the campaign and should be referenced when creating a character that uses any of these classes. Remember that everyone is gaining access to these playtest documents at the same time, so be a good roleplaying game citizen and plan to arrive early to any game for which you're using these rules so that you can discuss them with your GM, help her to understand how the class works, and give a friendly heads-up about what your character can do. Sure, you may only have a single class to learn, but the GM may have to handle six new classes at once.

Also, don't forget that in a little more than a week you'll have The Confirmation, a brand new Tier 1–2 Pathfinder Society Scenario designed for unlimited replay by 1st-level characters (yep, we extended the level range). That sounds like an ideal adventure to test out those new character concepts.

I'm always excited to see new character options because it gives me tons of character ideas. Sometimes I get a cool idea about synergy between feats, class abilities, or spells, which leads to a powerful character, but after building and playing however many dozens of aspiring adventurers, nobles heroes, and dastardly antiheroes, I recognize that sometimes new mechanics are most helpful in designing new personalities, backstories, and comprehensive concepts. In fact, some of my favorite characters are those that I or a friend built to break the mold of what is expected in a class: a barbarian whose rage power choices make her behave like a druid who channels elemental power, a "paladin" of Cayden Cailean who is actually a bard that chose spells to replicate paladin abilities (e.g. remove fear, cure light wounds, etc.), and most of all a "cleric" of Razmir.

When I play Jokhas, that "cleric," I have two character sheets: a real one that records my actual stats (that I show to the GM before the game) and a somewhat reflavored one that renames many of my class abilities and spells. When Jokhas the priest of Razmir casts a spell that's obviously unavailable to clerics—such as black tentacles—I often get some strange looks before sharing a knowing wink with the GM and then explaining in character that Razmir grants all magic and transcends the arbitrary limitations set by less caring deities. That said, Jokhas (member of the Silver Crusade faction) is also delusional, believing Razmir is a benevolent but stern god of glory, love, and prosperity who must regrettably strike down nay-sayers to remind mortals that justice is not to be mocked. It's usually at the end of the game that I reveal to curious players that Jokhas is a witch with a healing patron and has renamed his hexes as "miracles." Of course, anyone with Spellcraft can identify Jokhas's renamed spells or make other relevant checks to learn about what he's really doing. For Pathfinder Society Organized Play, it's important I not change how burning hands works or appears, but that doesn't stop me as a player from calling it the fires that destroyed Melcat.

What's most interesting about playing such a character, though, is that it inspires a different mentality in my fellow players. The character is not an 8th-level witch with familiar rules mechanics; instead he's a strange and enigmatic spellcaster, drawing others' attention to his style and presentation and less to the numbers on the character sheet. When he calls on Razmir's blessings, the results seem as miraculous to the players as to the player characters. In a way, it's one more step toward immersion in the setting and the story.

So as you explore these ten new classes, don't just limit yourself to considering mechanics—though please do provide feedback about balance, flavor, and other features important in the playtesting process; let these options inspire you to create a truly unique character personality that your region will be talking about for years to come.

Unforgettable Villainy

Nov 4, 2013, 12:32 PM

There are many wonderful things about being a Game Master, but I think it's fair to say both that filling that role takes practice and that we can make some silly errors while learning. Thinking back to how I GMed before beginning Pathfinder Society Organized Play, I realize that many of the tricks I pulled on my players were downright cruel, such as heaving colonies of rust monsters at the fighter, swarming the bard with wererats until he was infected and under GM control, repeatedly giving one player an intelligent greatsword that would inevitably betray him, having a creature "adopt" the party wizard in a familiar-master bond just so I could kill the familiar and drain the character's Constitution score, and repeatedly tempting the characters to betray the other PCs for power and wealth. Yep, those were some really bad campaigns (yet everyone kept expecting me to be the GM), and I think it's telling that I can remember little of their overarching plotlines. What I can remember, though, are the villains.

Unforgettable Villainy

Monday, November 4, 2013

Illustration by Jason Juta

There are many wonderful things about being a Game Master, but I think it's fair to say both that filling that role takes practice and that we can make some silly errors while learning. Thinking back to how I GMed before beginning Pathfinder Society Organized Play, I realize that many of the tricks I pulled on my players were downright cruel, such as heaving colonies of rust monsters at the fighter, swarming the bard with wererats until he was infected and under GM control, repeatedly giving one player an intelligent greatsword that would inevitably betray him, having a creature "adopt" the party wizard in a familiar-master bond just so I could kill the familiar and drain the character's Constitution score, and repeatedly tempting the characters to betray the other PCs for power and wealth. Yep, those were some really bad campaigns (yet everyone kept expecting me to be the GM), and I think it's telling that I can remember little of their overarching plotlines. What I can remember, though, are the villains.

In retrospect, I think one villain in particular made me understand what it meant to make an adventure about more than just looting dungeons and killing monsters. He was an orange-clad wizard with a penchant for turning into a falcon, and I initially threw him into the storyline largely for the opportunity to lob a fireball at the 4th-level PCs. The adventurers fought hard and nearly killed the poor spellcaster, but he transformed into a falcon and flew out of the tower, madly screeching incomprehensible promises to get his revenge for their interrupting his nefarious (and largely undefined) plans. A recurring villain was born, but I hardly knew it then.

The PCs shrugged, looted the tower, and went on their way to continue raiding random dungeons and getting themselves into trouble in practically every town—thanks in large part to the paladin constantly catching the chaotic "good" barbarian in the act of killing commoners. Perhaps three character levels later, the tavern they were in exploded, and like any adventuring company worth its salt, the PCs rolled initiative and chased after the mysterious culprit. Thinking their prey cornered in an alleyway, they were surprised to find the dead end empty save for a sealed letter and that wizard standing on top of a building laughing maniacally. "That letter contains the name of the next village I shall burn to the ground," he chortled. "See if you can reach it before I do!" He then shapechanged and flew out of sight, leaving the paladin fuming and the barbarian ambivalent. After reading the message and triggering its explosive runes the barbarian was also thoroughly interested in squashing the spellcaster.

That wizard repeated this at three villages in a row, each time leaving behind a charred husk of a town, a few minions to gnaw on the PCs, and a booby-trapped letter saying where he would strike next. They eventually cornered him in a climatic fight, killed him, and threw his body into a volcano. Unfortunately, the GM had recently read the description for true resurrection, brought back the wizard with new allies, and convinced the aforementioned barbarian to betray the party in return for an unnamed boon. After defeating all but the barbarian, that wizard knocked out the traitor, polymorphed the entire party into rats, and sent them through a trap-filled maze after giving a classic villainous monologue. The story goes on and on, but suffice it to say that this was our recurring villain from levels 4 to 24, and for years afterward, mentioning his name to any of that gaming group would cause them to scowl, grind their teeth, and hoarsely growl "I hate that guy!"

Nearly a decade later when I started playing Pathfinder Society, I found the lack of recurring villains somewhat comforting; by the end of each scenario, the PCs were victorious and had no loose ends to tie up. That was the case, at least, until I played a noteworthy, multi-scenario arc that ended in our perceived failure, for despite our "winning" the scenario, the villains succeeded at their scheme and left behind an insulting letter to add insult to injury. At first I found myself thinking, "What? No way! This can't be right!" A little later that evolved to, "What more could we have done to prevent this," and later still, "Oh, I can't wait to find those guys in the future." I found myself actually enjoying that we didn't have a clean victory because it really made me look forward to encountering those villains again in the future. In a way, I had encountered exactly what I had used against my players years before.

Illustration by Dean Spencer

Now that I've cornered you and given you the "let me tell you about my character" spiel, let me share why I subjected you to my rambling stories. When I first started working for Paizo, my mind was swimming with different villains who had tormented the Pathfinders in the past and might one day make a second appearance. Already there are several familiar faces set to show up again in the coming months, and I'm always happy to read about players' memorable experiences with the Big Bad Evil Guy from Scenario #X–YZ. It means the villain connected with the player base and helped to pull participants deeper into the story. It means that I can learn from what went particularly well with that NPC, and it also means that—story permitting—we might see that character again for a rematch.

USING SPOILERS that include the scenario's name so as not to ruin the surprise for someone else, which villains in Pathfinder Society Organized Play have been your favorites? What about the villain really pushed your buttons? Who would you like the chance to meet again?

Ascendance Day

Oct 7, 2013, 04:41 PM

Ascendance Day Monday, October 7, 2013 ... Illustration by Fabio GorlaHere at Paizo, the end of convention season can seem like a holiday, enough so that it calls for a new holiday blog. The anniversary of Iomedae's successful venture into the Starstone Cathedral was only yesterday, and given the goddess's key role in the Mendevian Crusade that is so central both to Pathfinder Society Organized Play's Year of the Demon and the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path, it seems particularly...

Ascendance Day

Monday, October 7, 2013

Illustration by Fabio Gorla

Here at Paizo, the end of convention season can seem like a holiday, enough so that it calls for a new holiday blog. The anniversary of Iomedae's successful venture into the Starstone Cathedral was only yesterday, and given the goddess's key role in the Mendevian Crusade that is so central both to Pathfinder Society Organized Play's Year of the Demon and the Wrath of the Righteous Adventure Path, it seems particularly appropriate to honor the Inheritor today.

To many, the Test of the Starstone represents the greatest of all challenges, yet for Iomedae it was one of three storied promotions in her rise from Aroden's herald to a goddess in her own right. On the 6th of Lamashan, the Inheritor's faithful observe the heroism of Iomedae's life before her moment of ascension and celebrate the anniversary of the apotheosis itself.

The celebration takes place in several stages. Early in the day, troupes of performers—as often passionate amateurs as professionals—stage morality plays featuring the Eleven Acts of Iomedae, the heroic near-miracles and sacrifices she made leading up to her trials in the Starstone Cathedral. Scripts vary by region, city, and even neighborhood, but despite differences in setting, performance medium, and word choice, the themes and morals are all the same.

As the day continues, the priests organize jousts and mock battles, allowing anyone to participate so long as she can demonstrate enough skill to not be a risk to herself or others. The winners of these contests then face tests of mental acuity such as solving riddles, deciphering philosophical quandaries, and answering questions of honor and justice. Those who prove themselves in both contests are awarded a white cloak—representing the Inheritor at peace—styled after Iomedae's own red garment to wear for the rest of the celebration. Feasting and singing follow the competitions, mirroring the jubilation that followed Iomedae's ascension. This is occasion for making pledges of friendship and forgiving enemies, and priests circulate about the crowd offering the Inheritor's blessing to those who do and providing a moment's counsel or mediation for those who need an extra nudge.

The celebration typically ends before midnight, and the following day the priests and previous day's champions gather up the blunted swords from the mock battles, sharpen them, and distribute them among the church's armory and those of like-minded organizations so that all may remain vigilant against evil and prepared to strike it down.

Click here to download the Ascendance Day 4713 Boon! — 135 KB (zip/PDF)
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Secondary Success Conditions

Sep 30, 2013, 04:34 PM

At the onset of Season 5, the means by which characters earned Prestige Points changed dramatically. No longer was fame tied to performing faction missions, but rather its award would be tied to secondary success conditions—"secret" missions that were tied to going above and beyond the primary success condition or seeking out additional, perhaps unforeseen ways to further the goals of the Pathfinder Society. As part of this change, we retired the existing model of faction missions, but the earlier scenarios did not have any secondary success conditions established already as replacements.

Secondary Success Conditions

Monday, September 30, 2013

At the onset of Season 5, the means by which characters earned Prestige Points changed dramatically. No longer was fame tied to performing faction missions, but rather its award would be tied to secondary success conditions—"secret" missions that were tied to going above and beyond the primary success condition or seeking out additional, perhaps unforeseen ways to further the goals of the Pathfinder Society. As part of this change, we retired the existing model of faction missions, but the earlier scenarios did not have any secondary success conditions established already as replacements.

I'm pleased to announce that we will have the Secondary Success Conditions—all 126 of them—available for download. After considering how best to distribute these, we decided it would be best to make the entire file available for download instead of adding an extra file to each download. I recognize that this makes it easier for the unscrupulous to peek at the secondary missions, but it also makes it far less onerous for GMs to acquire the updates all at once. I'm trusting the community to use this resource responsibly

These will become available tomorrow, so this means that the the temporary fix issued in August will no longer be in effect. Any games started on or after October 1, 2013 must use these secondary missions.

No doubt some of you are curious as to what these look like but don't want to spoil any scenarios by peeking at the reference document. To provide some examples, I shall recreate here the entries for three scenarios that do not exist.

#3–14159: Death by PiePrimary: The PCs recover at least three pastries and return them to Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch.Secondary: The PCs use the cipher found in area B3 to learn the next five digits in the sequence: 2–[blueberry]–5–[rhubarb]–5, thus giving the society advance warning of a major attack on the Grand Lodge.

#5–513: The Doppelganger's PreyPrimary: The PCs defeat the doppelganger.Secondary: The PCs accidentally slay no more than one of the following during the course of the adventure: Sheila Heidmarch, Drandle Dreng, or Ambrus Valsi.

#4–117: All the Doors are TrappedPrimary: The PCs successfully escape the dungeon.Secondary: The PCs trigger and are damaged by no more than two of the traps in the scenario.

My thanks to those campaign volunteers who helped out in reviewing my drafts and suggesting lots of possible secondary missions.

The Long Wait is Nearly Over

Sep 23, 2013, 11:30 AM

Approximately six weeks ago when the web team sent out the August Scenarios to GMs to prepare for Gen Con, I envisioned the expanse of days between releases would be a leisurely break in which to develop a pair of scenarios and get ahead on work. In fact, in that time I've stayed quite busy with new projects and initiatives as well as a finishing up a few pieces that had to wait in preparation for that huge convention. Spoiling exactly what's happening behind the scenes will have to wait for a future blog.

The Long Wait is Nearly Over

Monday, September 23, 2013

Illustrations by Kelly Perry & Mathias Zameck

Approximately six weeks ago when the web team sent out the August Scenarios to GMs to prepare for Gen Con, I envisioned the expanse of days between releases would be a leisurely break in which to develop a pair of scenarios and get ahead on work. In fact, in that time I've stayed quite busy with new projects and initiatives as well as a finishing up a few pieces that had to wait in preparation for that huge convention. Spoiling exactly what's happening behind the scenes will have to wait for a future blog.

What's more, reading forum posts has been an enlightening experience as I see players and GMs alike discuss the start of Season 5, provide feedback, and speculate about what is to come. Developing season-long theories is tricky business when we've only seen three scenarios, and in a few days we'll begin to broaden the picture of what Season 5 entails.

For the first time in the season we shall see not only a Tier 7—11 scenario, but also one without any direct faction interests: Pathfinder Society Scenario #5—05: The Elven Entanglement by Ryan Costello, Jr. We will also receive the first scenario to continue several factions' story in Pathfinder Society Scenario #5—04: The Stolen Heir by David N. Ross, resuming the Andoran and Taldor narratives. What's more, though neither is a stranger to writing RPG material, for the first time we get to see these two authors write for Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

In developing these two scenarios I grew rather attached to the two NPCs depicted below, one from each adventure. GMs in particular know that when there's a full-body depiction of an NPC, there's a fairly good chance that the character is a combatant; when an NPC's image is limited to a portrait from the shoulders up, it's not always so clear. Part of what I like most about these NPCs is that they fit that portrait-only model beautifully.

A Few Updates

Sep 9, 2013, 01:30 PM

Happy Monday, folks. Season 5 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play is well underway, and Mike and I have received considerable feedback both in person and through email about what works well (lots apparently) and what could stand improvement. In just a moment I will provide a few updates, clarifications, and reminders about the nuances, rules, and expectations of this new season. For the moment, though, I would like to share a bit of our progress on the online play frontier.

A Few Updates

Monday, September 9, 2013

Happy Monday, folks. Season 5 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play is well underway, and Mike and I have received considerable feedback both in person and through email about what works well (lots apparently) and what could stand improvement. In just a moment I will provide a few updates, clarifications, and reminders about the nuances, rules, and expectations of this new season. For the moment, though, I would like to share a bit of our progress on the online play frontier.

Online Play

Whether it's by play-by-post or real-time, virtual tabletop, our online games are going strong. Paizo recently added an online play subforum to the Pathfinder Society page, and Mike recognized the many requests for online leadership by appointing a Venture-Captain of Online Play, Joseph Caubo—who has in turn appointed several venture-lieutenants.

Several of my first Pathfinder Society scenarios were played online, but it's been nearly three years since that last game. I know I'm not the most knowledgeable about the nuances of online play and the needs of the VTT-using community. As a result, Joe has been an invaluable contact and liaison for understanding what the community needs, communicating how a new development might adversely impact the online play experience, and providing—both by his own hand and with the help of several others—helpful graphics that I use when making proposals to other departments to make scenarios easier to use.

There are plenty such developments in the works, and I would like to highlight two: map tags and paperwork. I remember playing The Eternal Obelisk, a now retired Season 0 scenario, and the GM had to instruct us to ignore the big red square with a capital T on the extracted map. No matter one's ability to avoid metagaming, that's a hard piece of player knowledge to ignore. Our GM could not remove the trap marker because the map tags were directly incorporated into the map and not included as a separate layer. Savvy GMs can sometimes paint over these markers or extract them in backdoor ways, but I'd rather we make that process easier by layering things in the main product. Starting with Pathfinder Society Scenario #5–04: The Stolen Heir, all scenario maps should benefit from this treatment.

Inventory Tracking Sheets

Mike and I also hear many requests for form-fillable documents, particularly Chronicle sheets and the Inventory Tracking Sheet (ITS) included in the back of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play. The ITS has been included in a form-fillable format and has received three important clarifications:

Players may produce their own versions of the ITS to meet their own design preferences and character inventory needs. Any alternate ITS must contain the same types of information found on the official ITS (e.g. item, cost, Chronicle acquired, Chronicle sold, charges, etc.)

Although a player must record purchases on the ITS, a player need not also record an itemized list of purchases on the Chronicle sheet. A simple note of "Adventuring gear purchased—see ITS" or "bucket of wands—see ITS" will suffice.

A player is not required to record individual purchases totaling 25 gp or less on his or her ITS. This is largely to avoid having to fill an entire sheet with small, mundane purchases like chalk or torches. We politely recommend that those purchasing lots of an inexpensive item (e.g. 10 flasks of acid for 100 gp) still record that on the ITS.

Season 5 Reminders

Remember that the new scenario reporting sheet included in the back of Season 5 scenarios has four checkboxes labeled A through D. In the Conclusion section of a scenario, there will often be one or more checkbox conditions that help me to track players' decisions throughout the season and use that information to help the campaign, society, and factions to evolve over time. Not every scenario will have these cues, but most will. For example, the scenario might prompt the GM to check A if the PCs used the scroll of awaken on the giant frog, B if the PCs used the scroll of awaken on the blueberry bush, C if the PCs successfully befriended the resulting creature, and/or D if members of the Cheliax faction sealed a dark bargain with the awakened blueberry bush to create a pie of ineffable evil. As a developer I could then decide which creature to include in a future scenario and whether said creature would start out as friendly or indifferent. Furthermore, the fate of Cheliax might develop an appreciation for single-use, edible, evil artifacts.

Finally, please point participants to the faction head letters. These are clearly linked in a recent blog as well as in stickied posts in the Faction Talk subform. I've read many appeals for more clarity regarding which scenarios deal directly with which faction, and I have a few respectable ideas regarding how to publicize that scenario information without spoiling the somewhat serendipitous sense of discovery for others.

A Time to Travel

Aug 26, 2013, 04:45 PM

Gen Con was a blast, and I was happy to hear that most of the feedback from Season 5 has been very positive. As you've heard me say (or at least seen me write) before, there's a lot more in store for the season, and I'm very excited to see how it plays out with your feedback in-game and out.

A Time to Travel

Monday, August 26, 2013

Illustration by Craig J Spearing

Gen Con was a blast, and I was happy to hear that most of the feedback from Season 5 has been very positive. As you've heard me say (or at least seen me write) before, there's a lot more in store for the season, and I'm very excited to see how it plays out with your feedback in-game and out.

Sadly, it's a long, lonely stretch of time between Gen Con—when we released three new scenarios, a Special, five new Beginner Box demos, and the next installment of The Ruins of Bonekeep—and the release of the September scenarios. It's also a very welcome stretch of relative calm following approximately two and a half months of massive deadlines, but I want to ensure that there are plenty of options for Pathfinder Society Organized Play as I catch up on emails, assign new projects, and take some time to assess where to take the campaign next.

As homage to the extensive traveling during convention season, the Jade Regent Adventure Path—in which the PCs travel quite a bit—is now sanctioned for organized play. A download containing the rules for running the Adventure Path for Pathfinder Society is available on the Additional Resources page.

As an aside to those who are wondering about a different adventure that also involves one or more dragons and a green cover, yep, that's still on its way.

The Year of the Demon Begins!

Aug 12, 2013, 04:00 PM

As the Year of the Risen Rune draws to a close, the Pathfinder Society is bustling with the preparation for the launch of the next exciting adventure for the thousands of Pathfinders participating in the campaign. In just a few short days, the Year of the Demon will commence, and members of all eight active factions are getting ready for the season ahead.

The Year of the Demon Begins!

Monday, August 12, 2013

As the Year of the Risen Rune draws to a close, the Pathfinder Society is bustling with the preparation for the launch of the next exciting adventure for the thousands of Pathfinders participating in the campaign. In just a few short days, the Year of the Demon will commence, and members of all eight active factions are getting ready for the season ahead.

Each faction leader, from Andoran's Major Colson Maldris to Taldor's Lady Gloriana Morilla, have sent a missive to their allies within the Pathfinder Society, updating their agents on the conclusion of last season's goals and laying forth new agendas for the coming year. A brief overview of each faction's goals for Season Five can be found below, along with a link to the full text of each faction head's letter on the paizo.com messageboards.

Andoran: Root out corruption in Andoran and better understand others' paths to liberty.Cheliax: Secure important artifacts and sources of power to establish order in the Inner Sea region and strengthen the faction's power base.Grand Lodge: Ensure the success of the Pathfinder Society's expedition to the Sky Citadel of Jormurdun.Osirion: Contact the Jeweled Sages, explore their history, and extend the faction's protection of history beyond Osirion's borders.Qadira: Establish a long-term trade deal with one of several possible trading partners.Sczarni: Extend the Sczarni faction's reach into central Avistan, and neutralize the faction's rivals.Silver Crusade: Aid the nation of Mendev in its crusade against the Worldwound.Taldor: Assist Lady Gloriana Morilla in gathering forces to march to Mendev.

To reflect the efforts of Pathfinders of all ten factions active during the Year of the Risen Rune, all characters who earned 6 or more Prestige Points between August 16, 2012 and August 15, 2013 may apply the following Chronicle sheet to their records. The Chronicle sheet includes ten boons, one for each faction, which provide a special bonus to characters who forwarded their faction's goals during the course of the year. Expect a similar reward at the end of the Year of the Demon.

Thanks for your participation in the Year of the Risen Rune. If last season was anything to go by (it was our most successful season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play to date), the Year of the Demon is going to be an experience you won't want to miss. Have a great year, Pathfinders, and don't forget: Explore, Report, Coorperate!

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Guide 5.0 and Changes to Organized Play

Aug 5, 2013, 06:25 PM

With Gen Con just 10 days away, I wanted to release the new and improved Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. With the help of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, we have added several much-needed changes that we think will improve your experiences in Pathfinder Society play.

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Guide 5.0 and Changes to Organized Play

Monday, August 5, 2013

With Gen Con just 10 days away, I wanted to release the new and improved Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. With the help of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, we have added several much-needed changes that we think will improve your experiences in Pathfinder Society play.

Most notably, the following changes will go into effect on August 15 when Season Five kicks off at Gen Con:

Added the ability for a player to receive a bonus on a free reroll tied to GM stars.

Opened up Day Job rolls for sanctioned module play.

There are quite a few other updates and you should reference the change log for a detailed list of all changes from version 4.3 to 5.0.

I look forward to seeing folks at Gen Con and am looking forward to an even more awesome campaign in the upcoming Year of the Demon. I sincerely appreciate everyone who provided feedback for the changes to the Guide and worked together to make our organized play the best it can be for the player base, GMs, coordinators, and Venture-Officers. Feel free to pull me aside at Gen Con to chat about any or all of the above changes.

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Double-Take

Jul 29, 2013, 12:13 PM

In another week we will see the newest version of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, the document that lays out the baseline rules, assumptions, and adjustments for playing in the organized play campaign. Over the past few months, whether by podcast, convention panel, or cryptic response to a forum post, Mike and I have hinted at many of the updates. By now, for example, practically everyone knows about the disappearance of the Lantern Lodge and Shadow Lodge. The new format for Pathfinder Tales novel boons has been available for download for several months. We even spoiled the new system for wealth and "playing up" during a panel at PaizoCon a few weeks ago. There is, however, at least one thing that we have not teased: Replay.

Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play: Double-Take

Monday, July 29, 2013

In another week we will see the newest version of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, the document that lays out the baseline rules, assumptions, and adjustments for playing in the organized play campaign. Over the past few months, whether by podcast, convention panel, or cryptic response to a forum post, Mike and I have hinted at many of the updates. By now, for example, practically everyone knows about the disappearance of the Lantern Lodge and Shadow Lodge. The new format for Pathfinder Tales novel boons has been available for download for several months. We even spoiled the new system for wealth and "playing up" during a panel at PaizoCon a few weeks ago. There is, however, at least one thing that we have not teased: Replay.

Already I can hear the hissed intake of breath from some worried readers. We've read, heard, and sometimes even personally made the argument that replay opens the door to myriad forms of abuse. I agree that unlimited replay of more than just Tier 1 scenarios and Tier 1-2 modules would be disruptive. I still remember meeting a Pathfinder Society player who proudly boasted that he and his group had just run through The Godsmouth Heresy six times in the course of a weekend simply to level-grind a host of characters to 2nd level. Campaign leadership has been very careful in exploring replay so that we might avoid classic pitfalls.

What tipped the balance for us was realizing that replay might also address an ongoing push to expand rewards for GMs who have dedicated their time to the campaign. In my estimation, most GMs who have at least one star have had to "eat" a scenario by preparing and GMing it before having the chance to play it. In my experience, those who habitually GM for organized play also have considerable practice when it comes to suppressing personal knowledge. In my time as a volunteer and employee, I find that those who GM first and play later are also among the most dedicated to wanting the whole group to have fun and enjoy experiencing a scenario without spoilers. That got the gears turning.

When Version 5.0 of the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play goes live, campaign participants who have been recognized for their efforts as a GM by receiving GM stars will be able to replay or "re-GM" a limited number of scenarios—specifically one scenario for each star earned. In this way a participant may earn a third Chronicle sheet from a given scenario: one for playing, one for GMing, and one for either playing or GMing that scenario a second time. No character may ever have two of the same Chronicle sheet, so one must apply each sheet to a different character each time. When earning a third Chronicle in this way, the GM should write "GM Star Replay Credit" on the Chronicle sheet.

Let's say you're a two-star GM—thank you for your help, by the way. You can now replay or re-GM (for credit, that is) two scenarios once each. Perhaps you thought Pathfinder Society Scenario #3–14159: Death by Pie was amazing when you played it the first time, but you are sad to have missed the opportunity to play it with your pastry totem barbarian who took the mathematical prodigy trait. You replay it for credit using one of your replay credits, and now you have one replay left. If you later use that to replay #5–513: The Doppelganger's Prey, you are now out of replays until you earn that third star. Only then would you be able to replay #4–117: All the Doors are Trapped for credit.

At this time, the Guide does not say anything about gaining more replay credits each season. For now that's alright by me; let's see how this works for one season before making promises about what will happen a year from now. As many as five replays won't be enough to make a character completely unbalanced. Instead I envision this being for those who have played/GMed almost everything, managed tables for most of a convention, and saved the last slot to just play.

There may be other rewards tied to GM ties in the Guide, but we'll just have to wait to see those when the new document goes live next week.

Amiri and Ezren are both replaying the scenario pictured above, and our iconic barbarian is trying to remind the wizard not to spoil what's about to happen next for the other players. Ezren is just aghast that all of the other characters put on the masks without first discovering the black lotus extract smeared on the interiors. What a great (nonexistent) scenario...

Are You Demon? I Need to Know!

Jul 27, 2013, 10:00 AM

Are you ready for the Year of the Demon? Season 5 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play kicks off this August at Gen Con Indy! The Year of the Demon features scenarios pitting Pathfinders against the faithful of Razmir, the demons of the Worldwound, the political machinations of Absalom's ruling council, and much more to be announced!

Are You Demon? I Need to Know!

Are you ready for the Year of the Demon? Season 5 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play kicks off this August at Gen Con Indy! The Year of the Demon features scenarios pitting Pathfinders against the faithful of Razmir, the demons of the Worldwound, the political machinations of Absalom's ruling council, and much more to be announced!

If you're attending Gen Con and are signed up for the Siege of the Diamond City, be prepared for some serious demon action as hordes of demons flock to the city of Nerosyan. Will your table survive the demon onslaught?

Dragon's Demand: New Sanctioned Module!

Jul 22, 2013, 05:00 PM

Remember when Paizo first announced the new 64-page format for the module line back in November 2012? I recall mentally comparing it side-by-side with the 32-page modules from the perspective of a Venture-Lieutenant, store liaison, and event organizer. Those 32 pages were already pretty tough to squeeze into a one-day event. 64 pages would certainly be impossible. I remember thinking back then that Mike and Mark would have to do some clever thinking to find some way to sanction the module for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. I shrugged and just assumed that I would end up writing the boons for the Chronicle sheets but nothing more.

Dragon's Demand: New Sanctioned Module!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Illustration by Miguel Regodón

Remember when Paizo first announced the new 64-page format for the module line back in November 2012? I recall mentally comparing it side-by-side with the 32-page modules from the perspective of a Venture-Lieutenant, store liaison, and event organizer. Those 32 pages were already pretty tough to squeeze into a one-day event. 64 pages would certainly be impossible. I remember thinking back then that Mike and Mark would have to do some clever thinking to find some way to sanction the module for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. I shrugged and just assumed that I would end up writing the boons for the Chronicle sheets but nothing more.

Soon after I started work at Paizo in February, they both asked me what my plan was for sanctioning Dragon's Demand. My how things change over the course of a few months.

The new module format is an exciting opportunity to explore new ways of sanctioning adventures that were not written with Pathfinder Society in mind. On one end we have the 32-page modules that are sanctioned in their entirety, allowing players to earn 3 XP and experience a complete story. On the other end we have the Pathfinder Adventure Path line, which gets sliced up a bit during the sanctioning process to provide players and organizers with a fairly contained play experience that might fill the same amount of time as a 32-page module. Players can experience Adventure Paths in "campaign mode," in which the players just play the Adventure Path as they like and get Chronicle sheets in the end, or they can play in "module mode," in which the players only play the sanctioned sections. I love the versatility that these two options give groups, but I also love knowing that players have experienced the full story that an Adventure Path has to offer.

With 64 pages there's just enough material that it seems in need of trimming, but at the same time the length is so tantalizingly accessible that I wince at the thought of irreverently carving it up for a waiting crowd of Pathfinder Society players. Also the idea that a character could progress a full six levels in one module is both exciting and daunting; it both means that players can zip ahead to enjoy higher level content, but it also means that they can level up a character far faster than is intended. That would probably also mean making six Chronicle sheets!

Well, let me get the bad news out of the way first: Playing through all of Dragon's Demand will not grant a Pathfinder Society character six levels of credit. Now let's talk about everything else, which is all positive.

You can play through Dragon's Demand in either "campaign mode" or "module mode." In module mode, the module is broken into three large chunks that grant respective Chronicle sheets, cover about 75% of the module, and can be played stand-alone. As usual, one can play any legal, level-appropriate character in each sanctioned section—even playing a different character in each.

In campaign mode, one can play through the whole module with a single character (Pathfinder Society legal or not, just like in Adventure Paths). During the adventure, you level up your character following normal Pathfinder rules, just like in a home game. If you play through the whole thing, you not only get the three Chronicle sheets, but you also gain a fourth sheet. Each one represents 3 XP and 4 Prestige, so playing the whole story not only means that you get to enjoy the whole story; it means your character's XP value in Pathfinder Society more accurately reflects the challenges you overcame.

I'm sure someone will ask, so here are the planned level ranges for the Chronicle sheets and sanctioned portions.

Chronicle sheet 1: Level 1–3

Chronicle sheet 2: Level 3–5

Chronicle sheet 3: Level 5–7

Bonus Chronicle sheet: Level 2–6

Enjoy the scenario, and you'll have a 4th-level dragonslayer with a Chronicle sheet ready to apply once you gain a level.

PaizoCon 2013 Recap

Jul 15, 2013, 01:54 PM

PaizoCon was awesome on so many levels. For my part, the growth of Pathfinder Society was phenomenal. The weekend festivities began with a meet and greet party and fireworks spectacular hosted by Paizo Volunteer of the Year, Kyle Elliott. This set the tone for what proved to be the best PaizoCon to date.

PaizoCon 2013 Recap

Monday, July 15, 2013

PaizoCon was awesome on so many levels. For my part, the growth of Pathfinder Society was phenomenal. The weekend festivities began with a meet and greet party and fireworks spectacular hosted by Paizo Volunteer of the Year, Kyle Elliott. This set the tone for what proved to be the best PaizoCon to date.

We ran just over 230 tables for PFS games. That is an increase of more than 80 tables from last year. We debuted the Season 5 PFS Special, Siege of the Diamond City, which seems to have been received very well. We also debuted the GM 201 course to round out the GM training that started with GM 101 last year at PaizoCon.

The Pathfinder Adventure Card Game also received quite a bit of buzz. Participants were able to try out demo decks using cards that will be released with the full set at Gen Con.

We also had the normal schedule of awesome events, such as the preview banquet, the lottery games, the seminars, and the other events that make PaizoCon the truly memorable event it was established to be.

We look forward to seeing everyone next year for what should prove to be another best PaizoCon ever.

Rescue in Riddleport

Jun 24, 2013, 12:00 PM

Well, it seems we were able to reclaim what was rightfully ours, and the Pathfinders gave a fine thrashing to the pirates on one ship and an inspired proselytizing to another. The Chronicle sheets for the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path are either already up on the Additional Resources page and respective product pages.

Rescue in Riddleport

Monday, June 24, 2013

Venture-Captain Sheila Heidmarch confidently strode into the wharf district's 27th warehouse to find it nearly packed with Pathfinders of all stripes. Hellknights grudgingly rubbed shoulders with buccaneers, twitchy humans bent over their traveling alchemical laboratories, and a small menagerie of trained war beasts looked about hungrily as if more eager to start the mission than their humanoid companions.

"As you know, Pathfinders, more than a month ago a band of Riddleport pirates captured our shipment of Chronicle sheets, determined that they had little resale value, and announced an impossibly high ransom. This is a mistake they shall regret," she promised her motley army. The crowd responded appreciably by waving blades, cheering, and shouting grim vows. Motioning for everyone to be silent, Heidmarch continued, saying, "Fortunately, in the intervening time our long-time friend Guaril Karela has been asking questions around the city to determine exactly when we should strike our enemies. He assures me," she added as the slick Varisian flashed a crooked smile and twirled his moustache, "that his methods were clean enough to make a paladin weep in admiration." Guaril Karela smiled reassuringly for a moment, but his grin melted away in horrified mock innocence when nearly half of the assembled troubleshooters all spat in disgust and disbelief.

With a glance to ensure that there would be no trouble, the venture-captain continued. "I am glad to have this intelligence, for it shall make the operation a safer one. As you well know, I would never send you into dangerous territory underequipped or uninformed—"

Illustration by Daryl Mandryk

Mouths fell open in incredulity. More of the seedier Pathfinders spat upon the floor to express their displeasure, a few tore back sleeves to point at terrifying scars acquired on recent missions, a tall human warrior pointed at the venture-captain and shouted "doppelganger" in open accusation, and a tearful gnome waved a sheet of parchment that bore the names of no less than a dozen deceased animal companions—each name differentiated only by a different ordinal epitaph. As the mutinous din grew louder, Guaril stood and quickly laid out the plan. "There are two ships—The Sanguine Sahuagin anchored in the harbor and the Bog Nixie at a dock to resupply. We know that the Chronicle sheets are evenly split between the two vessels, so we're sending in two teams."

As the Pathfinders' display of defiance died down and a few put away their banners bearing the slogan "Shadow Lodge for Life," Sheila Heidmarch picked up where Guaril had left off. "We intend to put an end to these villains' piracy, so it is your job to run them off or run them through as quickly as possible before they can destroy the cargo. Secure the ships, and from there return the Chronicle sheets here for distribution."

Their orders received, a handful of Iomedaeans and Hellknights shouted their vows to deliver justice, competing with the projected confidence of a halfling who challenged all of the offending pirates to single combat. As almost everyone prepared for the upcoming bloodshed, a Taldan lady reached the front of the crowd, flicked open a fan, began questioning much of the operation's premise, and proposed an alternate solution that might secure a nonviolent resolution. Her well-reasoned oratory began to calm her colleagues, and several of the Iomedaeans began to look somewhat sheepish as if questioning their rash announcements earlier. Nonviolence enjoyed a brief period of popularity before a powerfully built man raised his sword in a battlecry to Gorum and rallied the more bloodthirsty Pathfinders to join him in striking out at the Sanguine Sahuagin. Wayfinders held high, they marched out to board the personal ship of one of the Pathfinders.

Amused, Guaril leaned over to Sheila Heidmarch and inquired with some amusement, "Are they always this rowdy and uncontrollable?" Out of her sight he slipped a handful of faction missions to one of his loyal agents.

"Almost every time," the venture-captain sighed with exasperation. "Sometimes it's a wonder that they listen at all."

Only a handful of Pathfinders remained behind, including the orator, a few delicate spellcasters (both humanand elven), and a handful of others with more exotic lineages who were debating when it is right to kill, what the pirates' motivations might be, whether redemption was out of the question, and the merits of judging others at face value. The small entourage worked its way to the docks and hailed the Bog Nixie's crew, where the three diplomats and their philosophically inclined bodyguards presented a small purse of 50 gold pieces in exchange for all of Chronicles.

The assembled pirates drew cutlasses and shared in a hearty laugh at the paltry offer before one of the pious Pathfinders cradling a heavy scimitar shot back, "If you cannot agree to our terms, and do not wish to seek redemption for your vile acts, then you shall have but one last chance to surrender before we are forced to give you redemption of a different sort."

The pirates simply sneered evilly at the small group before one of them pointing out into the harbor. "Just remember that we only has to signal our pals out there, and all your bits of paper will go sinking straight t'the bottom!" The villains chuckled and shared a few iconic "yarrs" to remind everyone just who was pirate and who was prey.

Just at that moment, the Sanguine Sahuagin's sails burst into flames, and its crew quickly followed suit before diving into the water. The barely perceptible glimmer of wayfinders about the necks of those souls who then climbed aboard and made for the cargo hold were all that the Bog Nixie's crew needed to see to know that their plan had failed. One of the negotiators flicked open her fan to hide her look of disgust at her fellows' tactics before repeating her offer to the befuddled buccaneers.

"Fifty gold?"

Well, it seems we were able to reclaim what was rightfully ours, and the Pathfinders gave a fine thrashing to the pirates on one ship and an inspired proselytizing to another. The Chronicle sheets for the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path are either already up on the Additional Resources page and respective product pages.

I had a good time reading the posts that people made in character, and I was certainly impressed by some of the character profiles attached. Seeing some names that I haven't see around the Pathfinder Society forum was also good fun.

Primed for Adventure

Jun 17, 2013, 10:00 AM

Next month, we’ll be releasing Pathfinder Player Companion: Pathfinder Society Primer, a 32-page player-focused sourcebook specifically designed for use in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign. Written by John Compton and myself, the book should provide characters of all sorts with new options to use both in the organized play environment and in society-themed home campaigns.

Primed for Adventure

Monday, June 17, 2013

Illustration by Paolo Puggioini

Next month, we’ll be releasing Pathfinder Player Companion: Pathfinder Society Primer, a 32-page player-focused sourcebook specifically designed for use in the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign. Written by John Compton and myself, the book should provide characters of all sorts with new options to use both in the organized play environment and in society-themed home campaigns.

Among the many new rules presented in the book are a series of feats designed to accentuate the difference between Pathfinder agents commissioned from the field after proving themselves as able adventurers and those initiates who receive training at the Grand Lodge before earning their wayfinders. While none of these feats has the prerequisite of either character background, those for field commissioned Pathfinders tend to focus on luck and spontaneity, while those for trained Pathfinders benefit characters whose abilities are based on study and extensive training.

Here are two sample feats from this section of the book.

Patient Strike (Combat)

Your training under the Master of Swords has taught you that a well-timed strike is worth waiting for and that patience will serve you well in the long run.Prerequisite: Int 13.Benefit: You can choose to ready an attack as a full-round action instead of a standard action. When you do so, you gain a +2 bonus on your attack roll when your readied action triggers.Normal: Readying an attack is a standard action and doesn’t grant a bonus on your attack roll.

Versatile Spontaneity

You made a good name for yourself in the Pathfinder Society in part because you knew how to prepare for the challenges before you, even if your natural magical abilities lend themselves less to preparation and more to spontaneity.Prerequisites: Int 13 or Wis 13 (see Special), ability to spontaneously cast 2nd-level spells.Benefit: When you regain spell slots at the start of the day, you may opt to prepare one spell you don’t know in place of a daily spell slot 1 level higher than the prepared spell’s level. To do so, you must have access to the selected spell on a scroll or in a spellbook, and the spell must be on your spell list (even if it is not one of your spells known). This process takes 10 minutes per spell level of the selected spell. You can cast the selected spell a single time, expending the spell slot as though it were a known spell being cast by you. Preparing a spell in this manner expends a scroll but not a spellbook. A spell prepared in this way is considered its actual level rather than the level of the spell slot expended. You can apply metamagic feats to the spell as normal, as long as the spell’s actual level plus the increases from metamagic feats is 1 level lower than the highest-level spell you can cast. For example, a 12th-level sorcerer with this feat, a scroll of fireball, and the Empower Spell metamagic feat could prepare an empowered fireball spell in her 6th-level spell slot.Special: If you spontaneously cast arcane spells, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 13 to take this feat. If you spontaneously cast divine spells, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 13 to take this feat. If you have both arcane and divine spellcasting classes, you can use this feat to prepare a spell using a given class’s spell slot as long as you meet the associated ability score prerequisite.

Pathfinder Player Companion: Pathfinder Society Primer is set for a July release, so preorder your copy today to ensure that you can start using the great character options within at the start of Pathfinder Society Organized Play’s Year of the Demon, which launches at Gen Con Indy on August 15.

Ratfolk and Catfolk and Race Boons Oh My

Jun 3, 2013, 10:00 AM

Of all the feedback I receive about Pathfinder Society Organized Play, whether it be in person when I am visiting different regions, through emails, or on the messageboards, what I hear most is that non-convention-goers have little to no chance to obtain some of the convention-only boons that are offered at regional shows. The most popular of these boons are the racial boons, which open up the player's options to choose a unique race. I have thought long and hard on how we can even out things for those players who are not able to attend a convention for whatever reason.

Ratfolk and Catfolk and Race Boons Oh My

Monday, June 3, 2013

Of all the feedback I receive about Pathfinder Society Organized Play, whether it be in person when I am visiting different regions, through emails, or on the messageboards, what I hear most is that non-convention-goers have little to no chance to obtain some of the convention-only boons that are offered at regional shows. The most popular of these boons are the racial boons, which open up the player's options to choose a unique race. I have thought long and hard on how we can even out things for those players who are not able to attend a convention for whatever reason.

First, let me clarify that we will always have special boons that can only be obtained at conventions. These will consist of a multitude of various options, from extending the range of the Day Job earnings chart to unique races. Our regional and national conventions and larger game days are where we garner the biggest PR for our game. But that doesn't mean I don't want to offer the chance of getting cool boons, especially racial boons, to members of our player base who don't attend conventions.

At these regional conventions, players only receive approximately a 10% chance to receive any boon that is provided at the convention. I don't think it is unreasonable to offer a similar chance to non-convention players.

One tool that has finally been opened to me is I am able to filter play of individual scenarios, and to see every reported table and every Pathfinder Society number that was at that table. I am also able to filter dates so I can see exactly how many tables of a specific scenario were reported over a specified time. Playing around with this new tool got me to thinking about how I could utilize it for the benefit of the entire Pathfinder Society player base.

My initial thought is that when a scenario presents something unique, such as helping a race like ratfolk, catfolk, or dhampirs (and no, I am not advising one way or another whether either of these races will make an appearance in Season 5), it might be possible to offer these races (or whatever races were aided in a specified scenario) via a lottery type of system. While I certainly don't want to flood the OP with a zoo of races (such as making them available on a Chronicle sheet for everyone who plays the specified scenario), I don't think it is a bad thing to occassionally give a limited pool of players the chance to play a new race, similar to the Grippli boon at Gen Con this year, as long as we control the flow of how many become available. With that said, my thinking is that after the first month or two of a specified scenario, I would randomly select from all tables that reported success in the specified scenario. All the players and GMs of the randomly selected tables would then have the unique Chronicle sheet sent directly to them.

Maybe this is or isn't the best way to offer unique boons to the entire playerbase, especially those who can't or won't attend conventions. However, it is the start of a working idea I am still toying with that would offer an equal chance to everyone who plays the specified scenario in a specified time limit. If you think this is a horrible idea, please offer a solution for how we can make it better. I would very much like to hear your feedback on what you think of the above system, or hear your thoughts on any other suggestions you might have for how to best utilize this new tool I have been given. As always, your feedback and comments help to strengthen the community at large, and without your feedback and participation, Pathfinder Society wouldn't be as awesome as it is today. I look forward to reading all of your comments.

Register Now for Pathfinder Society Events at Gen Con Indy!

May 20, 2013, 09:59 AM

Event registration for Gen Con Indy is open to the public! That means that the over 100 unique Pathfinder Society events Paizo will be offering throughout the convention are already starting to sell out, so don't hesitate to get your tickets now. We expect this to be the largest Pathfinder Society showing at Gen Con to date, and you won't want to miss out on the action!

Register Now for Pathfinder Society Events at Gen Con Indy!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Event registration for Gen Con Indy is open to the public! That means that the over 100 unique Pathfinder Society events Paizo will be offering throughout the convention are already starting to sell out, so don't hesitate to get your tickets now. We expect this to be the largest Pathfinder Society showing at Gen Con to date, and you won't want to miss out on the action!

Gen Con will see the launch of Season 5 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play—the Year of the Demon! Three new scenarios will run throughout the show, pitting Pathfinders against the faithful of Razmir, the demons of the Worldwound, and the political machinations of Absalom's ruling council. We'll also be offering the first two levels of Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn's Ruins of Bonekeep megadungeon, which are specifically designed to challenge even the most ambitious Pathfinder characters with truly deadly combats, traps, and puzzles. As if that weren't enough, on Friday night, over 1,000 Pathfinder Society members will participate in a massive, multi-table event called Siege of the Diamond City, which will place the noble heroes on the front lines of an Abyssal invasion of the crusader capital of Nerosyan, and fill the Indiana Convention Center's cavernous Sagamore Ballroom.

We'll also be offering non-Pathfinder Society events throughout the convention, including:

Seminars with Paizo's creative staff and management about forthcoming products, the future of the company, and some in-depth looks at the workings of the Pathfinder RPG.

Check back here every Monday for more on the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign, including revelations about the end of Season 4, the Year of the Risen Rune, and the start of Season 5. But before you set your reminder for next week, reserve your spot in the Gen Con 2013 event(s) of your choice and prepare for the Best Four Days in Pathfinder Society Gaming of the year!

Ransom on the High Seas

May 13, 2013, 12:37 PM

The sunny skies that Paizo has experienced over the past week have provided a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy the weather. Apparently we weren't the only ones thinking that, and true to form, the pirates of the Shackles paid a visit, boarded the vessel carrying our latest shipment of Chronicle sheets, and spent the weekend roistering just beyond our reach. As I have learned in my move from a relatively landlocked area to the Pacific northwest, such is the price we must pay for good seafood.

Ransom on the High Seas

Monday, May 13, 2013

Illustration by Craig J Spearing

The sunny skies that Paizo has experienced over the past week have provided a great opportunity to get outside and enjoy the weather. Apparently we weren't the only ones thinking that, and true to form, the pirates of the Shackles paid a visit, boarded the vessel carrying our latest shipment of Chronicle sheets, and spent the weekend roistering just beyond our reach. As I have learned in my move from a relatively landlocked area to the Pacific northwest, such is the price we must pay for good seafood.

Once the pirates realized just what a prize they now hold—I hear the boons are the stuff of legend—they offered to ransom the Chronicle sheets back for the paper's weight in gold! Villains! What I propose is more devious and hopefully far more to the liking of the swashbuckling sorts that frequent the Pathfinder Society. We shall build up our strength and launch a daring raid to take back what is rightfully ours.

So hone your blades and sharpen your wits as you do battle with the foes in Season 4 of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. If we see in our reports that you have soundly beaten all that Varisia can throw at you, then we shall launch that raid, share the spoils, and tell stories about it for years to come. If not... I know that the Skull & Shackles Adventure Path promises adventure on the high seas, but I cannot imagine our Chronicle sheets would survive walking the plank.

Rules for sanctioning the Skull and Shackles Adventure Path for Pathfinder Society Organized Play are ready to launch, but we await your reporting of Season 4 scenarios. Play and report as much as you can. The more activity we see, the sooner you shall see rules for new Adventure Paths. Comment in character here, and so long as I see that you have participated in at least one Season 4 scenario since, you may be one of the characters called out in a later blog's narrative should we perform the raid.

New Pathfinder Society Rewards for Reading Pathfinder Tales!

May 6, 2013, 11:58 AM

Fans of Paizo's Pathfinder Tales line of fiction set in the Pathfinder campaign setting have likely noticed that it's been a few months since we released a Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet for the novels released as part of this line. For those who have been holding their breath to get an in-character benefit for reading Liar's Blade or Pirate's Honor, the wait is finally over! With the release of today's Chronicle sheet, we're changing up the way Pathfinder Tales boons work.

New Pathfinder Society Rewards for Reading Pathfinder Tales!

Monday, May 6, 2013

Fans of Paizo's Pathfinder Tales line of fiction set in the Pathfinder campaign setting have likely noticed that it's been a few months since we released a Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet for the novels released as part of this line. For those who have been holding their breath to get an in-character benefit for reading Liar's Blade or Pirate's Honor, the wait is finally over! With the release of today's Chronicle sheet, we're changing up the way Pathfinder Tales boons work.

Illustrations by Eric Belisle

This Chronicle sheet is actually a Chronicle sheet for four different Pathfinder Tales titles: Liar's Blade, Pirate's Honor, The Wizard's Mask, and King of Chaos. Now, back when we began sanctioning Pathfinder Tales novels for Pathfinder Society credit during Season 2, a player received a Chronicle sheet for each Pathfinder Tales book he brought to a Pathfinder Society game, which was subsequently signed by a GM and applied to one of the player's PCs. Now, a player needs print this Chronicle sheet only once, and bring it to a sanctioned Pathfinder Society event along with a printed or digital copy of one or more of the four novels included on the sheet (digital copies must be legally obtained and possess a watermark indicating such). The GM should initial the Chronicle sheet for the associated books, indicating that the player has access to the book, and hopefully that she has read it.

Any time thereafter, the player may use the initialed boon for any of her PCs. Once used, the box to the left of the boon should be checked to indicate such.

A player who collects GM initials for all four books on a given Chronicle sheet can select one of the four boons to become a permanent bonus for one of her PCs. At this time, only that PC can use the boon, though any unused one-time boons still on the sheet can still be used by other PCs.

You may note that this Chronicle sheet is called "Pathfinder Tales, Volume IV." That's because it contains the boons for the fourth distinct set of four Pathfinder Tales novels. In the coming months, we'll be replacing the existing Chronicle sheets for the entire Pathfinder Tales line to utilize this format, and anyone who's already received initialed versions of the Chronicle sheets for Queen of Thorns, The Worldwound Gambit, and Death's Heretic (all 12 of them, in fact), can get an initial in the associated box on the compiled Chronicle sheet.

As if that weren't enough, we also plan to tie in at least one scenario per season to each novel released during that season. It's too late in the process to do so for these four books, but starting with Stalking the Beast in October, we'll have a scenario set in the same region as every new Pathfinder Tales novel, or otherwise thematically linked to them if not set in the same geographical area. This will allow us to tailor the boons on the Chronicle sheets to directly apply to a situation one of the reader's PCs may be in around the time they're reading the book.

So download the Pathfinder Tales Chronicle sheet below and grab your copy of Liar's Blade or Pirate's Honor. In the coming months, you'll be able to "fill your BINGO card" with the release of The Wizard's Mask and King of Chaos. It's never too late to sign up for a Pathfinder Tales subscription so you never miss a volume of the exciting fiction line!

Let us know what you think of the new format for these tie-in Chronicle sheets and the prospect of directly-linked Pathfinder Society scenarios down the road. We're always looking for community feedback and for new ways to improve the campaign.

Pathfinder Society in Portugal

Apr 29, 2013, 10:53 AM

We move from our last international blog in Ireland to a relatively new PFS lodge in Portugal. It was one of the countries that was not currently in the PFS fold and that I had targeted last year, especially after it was announced Paizo was looking to have Pathfinder Roleplaying Game published in Portuguese. I was extrememly lucky to find the awesome and talented Raul Moura da Silva that wanted to expose Portugal to Pathfinder Society and was motivated to spread it across the entire country.

Pathfinder Society in Portugal

Monday, January 14, 2013

We move from our last international blog in Ireland to a relatively new PFS lodge in Portugal. It was one of the countries that was not currently in the PFS fold and that I had targeted last year, especially after it was announced Paizo was looking to have Pathfinder Roleplaying Game published in Portuguese. I was extrememly lucky to find the awesome and talented Raul Moura da Silva that wanted to expose Portugal to Pathfinder Society and was motivated to spread it across the entire country.

Without further delay, I present to you Raul’s report on Pathfinder Society in Portugal.

Hello! I'm Raul da Silva, and I am the Venture-Captain for Portugal. I currently live in Porto. Helping me in the task of taking PFS to all corners of our country, I have two Venture-Lieutenants, Bruno Tamames in Porto, and Bruno Sequeira in Lisboa, along with a dedicated crew of nine GMs divided between both cities. We are a constantly growing group of gamers and are full of dedication.

First, I want to send a word of thanks must be given to those few, but helpful stores that help us make our community grow and thrive. These include Mundo Fantasma Porto, Kult Games Lisboa, Diver Coimbra, and our "unofficial sponsor" and regular venue, Tropical Burger Crystal Park Porto.

Next, I want to offer a few words for those of you who don't know about Portugal. Portuguese sailors were, the first true real Pathfinders of our World, at least exploration wise. They set sail for unknown lands and bravely charted the way for all that came after them in the 15th Century. The great Portuguese poet (and possibly Pathfinder Agent), Luis Vaz de Camões, wrote, "They made maps and revolutionized the way everyone sailed, and despite some errors in how they dealt with natives, brought almost all the continents together." Unfortunately, that proud and visionary past was lost through the ages, and despite still being one of the most friendly countries in the world, with wonderful people, food,weather and landscapes, is currently facing a serious financial crisis. This crisis, is also a big problem for the expansion of Pathfinder RPG in our country, both for hobby stores who are closing and/or afraid to invest in anything but card games, as well as players who lack the money to buy material.

Nevertheless, we at Portugal PFS are fighting against this!

The profile of the gaming community in Portugal, a country with a high level of education among the younger generations, the English language is almost a second natural language, with most of us speaking it or at least understanding it easily . This helps a lot when we are talking about RPG games in general, and Pathfinder in particular. Despite not having a lot of stores that sell RPG and boardgame materials, there are a few stores we are able to order from, and it's relatively cheap and fast to order online from outside of Portugal.

Traditionally there is a strong presence in our country of boardgaming players (mainly European style games), who organize big conventions across the country, and it's from this big community that most of our players comes from. We do have others joining us because due to their computer RPG games experience and knowledge. Fortunately, there is a growing and prolific RPG community across the country, playing mostly home games, but is very well informed and plays all kinds of RPG games, including Pathfinder.

The story behind Pathfinder Lodge Portugal all started with four players coming together in the summer of 2009 in Porto and deciding to organize a RPG gaming group to play regularly every week. We began at a local gaming store and then moved to the local "cultural gaming store", Tropical Burger. Thanks to their wise managers, it became the place where all the gaming groups in the city—boardgamers, wargamers, roleplayers and card gamers—gather almost every day of the week, at every hour of the day (the store is opened 23 hours a day, 7 days a week). I was onne of those four initial players. The others included Bruno Tamames, the local "GM Guru", who has been GMing for more than 20 years, and André Silva, one of my current GMs. We were later joined by one of the most reknown RPG enthusiast in the country, Rick "Ricardo" Danger, who helped us found Roleplayers Porto, and we began advertising our group and gaming sessions on internet sites and gaming stores. We established gaming days, events, and scheduling in conventions . This helped create similar groups in other cities, like Lisboa, where the players came together mainly at home. In the next few years, the Porto community has grown to more than 30 regular players. We have been lucky enough to have foreign players from Ireland, Scotland, Brazil, Estonia, and Russia come join us at some of our game days.

The Porto gaming groups played D&D for the first years, but, there came a time in early 2012, when Bruno Tamames and I started looking for something more appealing and challenging. We found Pathfinder! We continued coordinating game days for almost a year, and then in November 2012, Mike Brock sent us an email. After some questions about our game days and events, he offered me the honor of being Venture-Captain for Portugal. I had already registered some games but knew we needed a Venture-Captain to move forward with growing Pathfinder Society. I accepted the position, and in December, started scheduling regular public events in addition to our home games. This brought players to Pathfinder RPG, and more precisely to Pathfinder Society. From that moment on, my Venture-Lieutenant and I started advertising more Pathfinder and "campaigning" for Organized Play and it's advantage. We scheduled monthly public events and smaller weekly events. We also started a Facebook group to advertise our gaming sessions that we utilize for scheduling, news, and announcements. We created flyers and started distributing them throughout the city and stores and worked in making a unique graphic presentation for our group, that continues to be a constantly evolving process. I want to send a quick thanks to the designer, and local GM, Filipe Jensen.

We began our expansion across the country, first in Lisboa where we found Bruno Sequeira. He is an "old" D&D player who was looking for players and helped in the founding a regular group to play. He also came onboard as a Venture-Lieutenant and has been making doing excellent work in his region. He has mentored new GMs and his hard work is paying off . We are gaining a lot of new players.

We have a loyal group of players in Aveiro and we are looking to add a Venture-Lieutenant there in the near future. We have also turned our attention to Coimbra, where Ricardo Moreno and I have started a new regular event. Currently, with only four full months of activity, we have more than 70 players registered in four cities. We have monthly and weekly events happening regularly in Porto and Lisboa, suach as the monthly PFS RPG PORTO.

Finally we look to the future. We have many ideas of what we want, and how to do it, and we have high hopes everything with come together nicely. At the top of our priorities is the increase of gaming sessions in more venues, especially in Porto and Lisboa. Next, we are trying to schedule regular monthly events in Coimbra and Aveiro, as well as a few other cities we have yet to explore, but where we know other gaming groups exist. After that, we plan to try to reach new markets, with more advertising, and some interviews in local blogs and local television stations.

Also of note is the scheduled presence of Pathfinder Society at the upcoming major national conventions (where we hope to lure Mike Brock to one day), starting with this year’s Invictacon. It will be the first, officially supported Pathfinder Society event in Portugal, and we will be making the season finales a major event, for the current season, as well every season for the foreseeable future. Lisboacon in 2014 will also feature special events and we will have registered events in two other smaller conventions. These include Riacon next month and Leiriacon in 2014.

Finally, we will continue to try and find more stores that have interest in selling physical Pathfinder RPG books to showcase the awesome things from our favorite game.

I cannot finish without thanking Mike Brock and Paizo for their continued support.

If anyone is looking for a place that has good and and inexpensive vacations, to include wonderful food, weather and landscapes, consider Portugal. But, let us know ahead of time because we'd love to have you over for a game!

Raul "Wulfgars" Moura da SilvaVenture-Captain, Portugal

Thank you to all of the players, GMs, VC and VL for creating an awesome PFS Lodge in Portugal. Keep up the awesome work!

No Sleep for the Wicked

Apr 22, 2013, 04:26 PM

As we've mentioned a few times on the messageboards, Facebook, and Twitter, the creative team here at Paizo is deep in the process of ensuring all our products through Gen Con get to the printer on time for the show. That means we've all been pulled a hundred directions a day, and are putting in extra nights and weekends of "all-hands" work hours. Since that means less time for blogs and other content for which we won't pay dearly if it's not available at Gen Con, you get art previews!

No Sleep for the Wicked

Monday, April 22, 2013

As we've mentioned a few times on the messageboards, Facebook, and Twitter, the creative team here at Paizo is deep in the process of ensuring all our products through Gen Con get to the printer on time for the show. That means we've all been pulled a hundred directions a day, and are putting in extra nights and weekends of "all-hands" work hours. Since that means less time for blogs and other content for which we won't pay dearly if it's not available at Gen Con, you get art previews!

The end of the month is quickly approaching, which means we have two new Pathfinder Society Scenarios coming in just a few days. Here are a few NPC portraits from this month's releases, which GMs may want to have on hand to use as visual aids.

Taxfest!

Apr 15, 2013, 10:29 AM

For those of us living in the United States, today is the deadline by which we must file our taxes. Luckily, we in the real world aren't the only ones doing our civic duty today; inhabitants of the Inner Sea region are also participating in their own celebration of taxes, sponsored by the church of Abadar. Editor-in-Chief F. Wesley Schneider got his taxes done early, and used the extra time to put together a special holiday blog for the Pathfinder Society community. You will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet below, which you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character during the date ranges noted on the sheet.

Taxfest!

Monday, April 15, 2013

For those of us living in the United States, today is the deadline by which we must file our taxes. Luckily, we in the real world aren't the only ones doing our civic duty today; inhabitants of the Inner Sea region are also participating in their own celebration of taxes, sponsored by the church of Abadar. Editor-in-Chief F. Wesley Schneider got his taxes done early, and used the extra time to put together a special holiday blog for the Pathfinder Society community. You will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet below, which you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character during the date ranges noted on the sheet.

Illustration by Jason Engle

No one enjoys paying taxes. Every year, though, on the 15th of Gozran, priests of the church of Abadar spend the day walking city streets, doing what they can to make the bitter pill of annual taxes a bit easier to swallow. From dawn to dusk, clerics of Abadar attend the tax collectors of sizable communities as the tax wagons roll from door to door. More than just aiding in the yearly errand, the faithful personally thank every citizen for contributing to the improvement of their city, extol the public works funded by their contributions, and foretell the grandeur of civic projects to come. The disenfranchised and destitute they attempt to comfort as best they can, quoting from their god's dogma on work and worthiness, but this is not a day for discounts or deferrals.

At dusk, the Abadarans host several celebrations in parks, plazas, and other communal areas about the city, organizing donations and contributions from local vendors to feed and entertain all comers. Having already preached to most of the city over the course of the day, the clerics perform only a brief opening ceremony, dedicating the feast to Abadar, the city, and its great people. These celebrations are often quite distinct from neighborhood to neighborhood and are almost always divided along economic boundaries.

The festivities involving the wealthiest citizens usually happen on the steps of city hall or other grand civic buildings and feature the best music and food, but often little more than polite card and guessing games. These galas usually wrap up by midnight.

For the common folk, the parks and marketplaces take on a carnival atmosphere, with simple but good food, local ales, performances by talented citizens, and games of chance going on well into the night. A prevailing superstition through these festivals is that, during the celebration, it's lucky to kiss—or in some regions, pinch—a cleric of Abadar, leading to many a rosy cheeked cleric.

Even the city's poor are given reason to celebrate, as the local temple of Abadar hosts a cheery but unabashedly religious gathering on its steps, feeding all comers, doling out a hearty ration of wine, singing hymns of the faith, and providing tokens for a second wine ration for any who return to attend a service within the month.

For a holiday that revolves around paying taxes, this Abadaran festival isn't as reviled as one might expect.

Use the Chronicle sheet below to celebrate your pending tax refund or for a little escapism from the realities of whatever you may owe. And for those of you in other countries where taxes aren't due today, maybe you want to earn this boon while you can and save it for your nation's tax day.

Click here to download the Taxfest 4713 Boon! — (90KB zip/PDF)—This Boon is no longer available as of 5/4/13.

You Are Not Forgotten!

Apr 8, 2013, 02:56 PM

We here at Paizo HQ are deep in the throes of birthing a number of incredible products for release at Gen Con in August, and that means it's an all-hands-on-deck scenario. John and I are being called upon to assist with development and editing of products outside the Pathfinder Society Scenario line, and that means less time to devote to Pathfinder Society blogs on Mondays. So that you aren't left in the lurch, however, here are a few pieces of art from some of this month's Pathfinder releases, set to start going out to subscribers in the next week or so. Some of these images may even be useful for GMs who like visual aids for their Pathfinder Society games, though I won't give any more info than that!

You Are Not Forgotten!

Monday, April 8, 2013

We here at Paizo HQ are deep in the throes of birthing a number of incredible products for release at Gen Con in August, and that means it's an all-hands-on-deck scenario. John and I are being called upon to assist with development and editing of products outside the Pathfinder Society Scenario line, and that means less time to devote to Pathfinder Society blogs on Mondays. So that you aren't left in the lurch, however, here are a few pieces of art from some of this month's Pathfinder releases, set to start going out to subscribers in the next week or so. Some of these images may even be useful for GMs who like visual aids for their Pathfinder Society games, though I won't give any more info than that!

Illustrations by Filip Burburan, Jason Rainville, and Xia Taptara

Mike's back in the office later this week after almost a month of conventions and international business trips, and from what I understand, he's got a few good blogs in the works. Be sure to check back next week and see what he has to report!

Defective Pathfinder Society Chronicle Sheets

Apr 1, 2013, 10:00 AM

Greetings Pathfinders! We regret to inform you that it has come to our attention that some of the Chronicle sheets included in Pathfinder Society Scenarios published between August 2008 and March 2013 may include a defect in the font used to create them. In order to ameliorate the unfortunate situation, we have made the difficult decision to recall all Chronicle sheets published during this window. All members of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign are encouraged to destroy all physical copies of there Chronicle sheets. Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to you're local Venture-Captain to receive replacements.

Defective Pathfinder Society Chronicle Sheets

Monday, April 1, 2013

Illustration by Emrah Elmasli

Greetings Pathfinders! We regret to inform you that it has come to our attention that some of the Chronicle sheets included in Pathfinder Society Scenarios published between August 2008 and March 2013 may include a defect in the font used to create them. In order to ameliorate the unfortunate situation, we have made the difficult decision to recall all Chronicle sheets published during this window. All members of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign are encouraged to destroy all physical copies of there Chronicle sheets. Please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to you're local Venture-Captain to receive replacements.

This defect is generally harmless but in some cases may result in the deterioration of ones ability to properly utilize the english language including but not limited to impoper spelling, punctuation errors; and misuse of homophones. If you have noticed any of the above in you're writing, please ensure that you sanitize all of your dice by boiling them in a 4:1 solution of apple cider vinegar and orange juice at a tempeariture of no more than 250° F and no less than 200° F for at least 12 hours immediately before play.

To make up for this this inconvenience, we have decided to allow all Pathfidner Society players to make pugwampi characters as long as their first Chronicle sheet is dated no later than April 8, 20143. PlYAERS USing this option are not required to bring a copy of the pugwampit rules to there sanctioned event for the GMs's review. Paizo Publishing, ;LC takes no responsibily for player death as a result of sitting at a table with a pugwampi characters and their will be no rebuilding for characters that suffers insanity or other permanent ailments do to the actions of there fellow players. Purple dice will not be permited on days ending in "why" and only red d6's can be used to confirm critical hits. Expect table variation and carry a big stick.

Again, we're sorrty for the inconvenient but we hope everyone will understand!

The First of Many

Mar 25, 2013, 03:42 PM

This month's Pathfinder Society Scenarios send the ever-resourceful agents after two valuable treasure troves, and thanks to its inside information, the society has exclusive access to both sites; however, just because a ruin is long-forgotten does not mean that it is undefended.

The First of Many

Monday, March 25, 2013

Illustrations by Yong Yi Lee and Ian Llanas

This month's Pathfinder Society Scenarios send the ever-resourceful agents after two valuable treasure troves, and thanks to its inside information, the society has exclusive access to both sites; however, just because a ruin is long-forgotten does not mean that it is undefended.

This is an exciting month of "firsts" for many reasons. It's the first time that we deal directly with Venture-Captain Sir Canayven Heidmarch, Sheila's husband. Also, not only are these the authors' first Pathfinder Society scenarios that they have written, but they're also the first that I had the privilege to develop. Look for these scenarios later this week.

Animals and Their Tricks

Mar 11, 2013, 10:00 AM

One thing the Venture-Officers and I have noticed is that there tend to be questions that continually come up on the messageboards about pushing animals to do something, animals using trained tricks, and other such issues regarding animal companions, familiars, etc. The newly released Animal Archive added several new tricks that a lot of GMs were hand-waving. I received numerous emails asking for clarification. Instead of replying to each email separately, I thought the community could be better served with a blog post.

Animals and Their Tricks

Monday, March 11, 2013

Illustration by Emily Fiegenschuh

One thing the Venture-Officers and I have noticed is that there tend to be questions that continually come up on the messageboards about pushing animals to do something, animals using trained tricks, and other such issues regarding animal companions, familiars, etc. The newly released Animal Archive added several new tricks that a lot of GMs were hand-waving. I received numerous emails asking for clarification. Instead of replying to each email separately, I thought the community could be better served with a blog post.

The Ontario Venture-Captain, Adam Mogyordi, has written Mergy's Methods in the past and posted on both paizo.com messageboards and the Southern Ontario Pathfinder Lodge website. Not only have these been popular, but players have advised they have been very helpful articles to explain confusing rules and the like. I reached out to Adam and he was thrilled to write something to help clear up some common confusions players and GMs might have about animal companions. Thanks, Adam! Below is the article he wrote for the Pathfinder Society community.

Animal Archive gives druids and other pet classes a wide range of new options. To utilize these options, a review of the basics is a good place to start. Today I want to go over some of the rules that go with handling an animal for GMs and players. There are some benchmarks Handle Animal users need to meet, and I also have some tips for handlers and their GMs.

New Tricks: There are 18 new tricks available in Animal Archive, and some of these may be taken more than once! But while you now have much more freedom in what your pet can know how to do (my personal favorite new one is Bombard), there is also a side to this that some players may find displeasing. The addition of a Flank trick and an Aid trick means that pets do not, by default, know how to perform these, even if they know the Attack trick. If you command your companion to attack, it will take the most direct route. If you want your companion to always flank, you now need the Flank trick. If your companion doesn't know one of these tricks, pushing your companion with a successful DC 25 Handle Animal check is also an option.

Handling Your Companion: Some players and GMs hand-wave this, but it's important to note that just because your pet knows a trick doesn't mean it can perform the trick on command. Animal companions certainly cannot read your character's mind, and that's why we need to use the Handle Animal skill. A trick the animal knows is DC 10 and is a move action. A trick it does not know is a full-round action at DC 25. There are, however, a few ways to make this easier.

Druids and other classes with the animal companion feature get a +4 circumstance bonus when handling their own companion from the Link class feature. This also allows them to handle an animal as a free action, or use a move action to push the animal. Keep in mind you may still only perform the free action on your turn, so even if your animal wins initiative, it's not going to automatically do what you want before can you order it.

With Link, we can set some benchmark numbers a companion class needs. The DC to command an animal to perform a trick it knows is only 10, but this increases to 12 if the animal is injured or has taken nonlethal or ability score damage. With the +4 bonus from Link, the magic Handle Animal modifier you want to hit is +5. If you have a +5 modifier at level 1, you are guaranteed to always command your uninjured animal companion (the number for an injured companion is +7). GMs may wish to log what the player's Handle Animal skill is at the start of the game so that they know when to ask for a roll.

Smart Kitty: If you have increased your animal companion's intelligence score to 3 using various means, then great! You can now have your companion learn any feat it can physically perform, and it can put ranks into any skill. What this increase does not accomplish, however, is any advantage in commanding your companion whatsoever. It's still the same DC 10 to handle and DC 25 to push. It may still only learn six tricks plus your druid bonus tricks. However, for every point of Intelligence it gains above 2, that is three more tricks it can learn. A smart animal will have more versatility without needing to rely on pushing.

Why druids don't dump Charisma?: So how do we reliably overcome DCs like 25 at reasonable levels? I think Skill Focus (Handle Animal) is certainly an option for some druids who see themselves as dedicated animal companion users. There is also the training harness item from page 76 of the Advanced Race Guide that will give you another +2 bonus on these checks. The most important thing is to not dump Charisma. If your druid has a Charisma score of 7, you are likely looking at a 20% chance of your animal ignoring you at 1st level. If you want to reliably push your companion, you are going to make it much more difficult with a negative Charisma modifier.

If you have other questions not addressed here, please feel free to reply in the comments below. Adam and I will do our best to try to answer those in a timely manner.

The Demons Cometh

Mar 4, 2013, 10:16 AM

One of my earliest goals when I took over as developer of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign in fall 2010 was to increase the internal continuity within the campaign. In the 2-1/2 years since, we've upped the metaplot elements of the campaign and have featured a number of recurring villains, locations, and subplots (with more to come!). It took a few years to build up the momentum I'd hoped for with the campaign's many interacting pieces, but I think we're finally there! It's fitting, then, that we hired John to take the torch from me (albeit after several more months of mentorship on my part) just as I feel we've attained the loftiest goal I set for myself all those years ago.

The Demons Cometh

Monday, March 4, 2013

"Help me, fearless Pathfinder. You're my only hope."

One of my earliest goals when I took over as developer of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign in fall 2010 was to increase the internal continuity within the campaign. In the 2-1/2 years since, we've upped the metaplot elements of the campaign and have featured a number of recurring villains, locations, and subplots (with more to come!). It took a few years to build up the momentum I'd hoped for with the campaign's many interacting pieces, but I think we're finally there! It's fitting, then, that we hired John to take the torch from me (albeit after several more months of mentorship on my part) just as I feel we've attained the loftiest goal I set for myself all those years ago.

I'm particularly proud of our recently released Season 4 exclusive scenario, Day of the Demon, written by fan-favorite author Larry Wilhelm. This scenario serves as thematic link between last year and the concluding scenarios of the Year of the Ruby Phoenix, the current season—the Year of the Risen Rune—and next season, which we're calling the Year of the Demon. (Notice the similarity in titles between the season and the scenario? That wasn't an accident). Larry did a bang-up job on this scenario, and I'm glad it will be run exclusively for the next year by the campaign's most dedicated volunteers, including our growing army of regional coordinators (both Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants) and 4- and 5-star Game Masters.

Day of the Demon is a scenario that no Pathfinder Society player should miss out on, so encourage your regional coordinator or local celebrity GM to run this one for you. This poor character (a young girl named Tilly Anders) is counting on your heroic PC to save her from a terrible, terrible fate. How can you say no to a face like that?

Who is John Compton?

Feb 28, 2013, 10:00 AM

The whole Pathfinder Society community has been buzzing about the new addition to the Pathfinder Society team here at the Paizo offices. But who is John Compton, our newest developer? We'll let him tell you...

Who is John Compton?

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The whole Pathfinder Society community has been buzzing about the new addition to the Pathfinder Society team here at the Paizo offices. But who is John Compton, our newest developer? We'll let him tell you...

F. Wesley SchneiderEditor-in-Chief

My roleplaying experience began with a bequeathed copy of the 1981 Dungeons & Dragons Expert Rules from my older cousin Tim. It wasn’t until the end of middle school that I found a regular gaming group, and it was Kyle Pratt, one of the founding members and now co-Venture-Captain of Georgia, who introduced me to Pathfinder and later Pathfinder Society in early 2010. Given my training as an archaeologist, Pathfinder Society had an instant appeal. Despite an ally nearly killing off the entire party in The Prince of Augustana, our first scenario, I was hooked.

From there we, along with Nani Pratt, acted as store liaisons under Mike Brock’s leadership as then-VC. When he took on the weighty mantle of Campaign Coordinator, I cheerfully offered my services in adapting modules, writing Chronicle sheets for Pathfinder Tales, and other small-scale odds and ends, and I continued to write supplementary material behind the scenes until PaizoCon 2012. I was already excited that weekend. Not only had I participated as a suitor in the Grand Convocation the night before, but I was also still buzzed from some amazing conversations in person with the esteemed Painlord and Shivok from the messageboards. Then, Mark Moreland snagged me during the lunch break, offered me a chance to write a scenario, and asked me to write the Season 4 convention boons.

In early January, I received an exciting series of emails. First, it was Mark asking if at some point in the future, budget willing, I would be interested in a bit of freelance, part-time development work. Sure! Then I heard from Wes asking me to send in a resume for a full-time developer position. Done! A few interviews later, I was hired and swapping ideas with Mike to continue Pathfinder Society’s growth and improve the experience even more.

Gen Con 2013: News and Official Call for Volunteers

Feb 25, 2013, 10:00 AM

For Gen Con 2012, I advised last year that we planned to make it the biggest and best Gen Con yet. And it certainly was. We scheduled 750 tables of Pathfinder Society over the four days. We showed the world our GM 101 workshops, Kids' Track, and Beginner Box Introductions. Gen Con was definitely a success and Paizo's biggest showing in history. But we can make it better!

Gen Con 2013: News and Official Call for Volunteers

Monday, February 25, 2013

For Gen Con 2012, I advised last year that we planned to make it the biggest and best Gen Con yet. And it certainly was. We scheduled 750 tables of Pathfinder Society over the four days. We showed the world our GM 101 workshops, Kids' Track, and Beginner Box Introductions. Gen Con was definitely a success and Paizo's biggest showing in history. But we can make it better!

As many already know, Paizo stepped up as a cosponsor at this year's show. What does that mean for Pathfinder Society? It means we move into the Sagamore Ballroom! We double in size, scheduling 150 tables per slot. Additionally, we also have two of the seven rooms that were used for Pathfinder Society last year. One of them will be used exclusively for Paizo seminars. The other room will have 10 tables and a mini-HQ that will allow us to schedule five tables of Beginner Box Introductions and five tables of the Kids' Track for all ten slots of Gen Con. This year, we will also be hosting a GM and volunteer briefing in the Sagamore Ballroom from 5-6 pm on Wednesday. If you are a volunteer of GM, please try to attend.

Doubling in size allows us to offer a much broader selection of scenarios for players to choose from. I also wanted this to serve as a celebration of Pathfinder Society history and have chosen several multipart series, as well as favorites from past seasons, in addition to the normal offerings of the previous season and the new season. We are planning to schedule 61 different scenarios, one Gen Con Special, two Gen Con Exclusives, and two modules! These include seven Season 0 scenarios, nine Season 1 scenarios, 13 Season 2 scenarios, 10 Season 3 scenarios, 19 Season 4 scenarios, and four Season 5 scenarios. We are also offereing a few tables of We Be Goblins! and We Be Goblins Too! throughout the course of the convention.

We are planning one or two tables of the three new Season 5 scenarios for each morning and afternoon slot throughout the convention, which will be GMed in French and Spanish languages. Paris Venture-Captain Karim Majeri, Quebec Venture-Captain Michel Lepage, and French GM Florent Fournol will be traveling to Gen Con from their countries and GMing a large share of the French-language tables, but I still have a few open tables if you are fluent in French. Every French-language GM that volunteers to GM six or more tables will receive a French-language Core Rulebook as a thank you! All of the Spanish-language tables need GMs. If you are fluent in either language, please consider GMing in some of these first time offerings at Gen Con.

The Season 5 Gen Con special, Siege of the Diamond City, scheduled for Friday night, will help us kickoff the new season near the Worldwound! The Special this year will be designed for levels 1—15, and include subtiers for levels 12—13 and 14—15. At 150 tables, it will be one of the single largest, collaborative roleplaying games ever hosted!

#3—12: Wonders in the Weave, Part 1: The Dog Pharoah's Tomb (Tier 5—9)

#3—14: Wonders in the Weave, Part 2: Snakes in the Fold (Tier 5—9)

#3—15: The Haunting of Hinojai (Tier 5—9)

#3—18: The God's Market Gamble (Tier 1—5)

#3—20: Rats of Round Mountain, Part 1: The Sundered Path (Tier 7—11)

#3—22: Rats of Round Mountain, Part 2: Pagoda of the Rat (Tier 7—11)

Season 4

#4—EX: Day of the Demon (Tier 3—7)

#4—04: King of the Storval Stairs (Tier 7—11)

#4—05: The Sanos Abduction (Tier 3—7)

#4—07: Severing Ties (Tier 1—5)

#4—08: The Cultist's Kiss (Tier 7—11)

#4—10: Feasts of Sigils (Tier 7—11)

#4—11: The Disappeared (Tier 1—5)

#4—12: Refuge of Time (Tier 7—11)

#4—13: Fortress of the Nail (Tier 5—9)

#4—14: My Enemy's Enemy (Tier 3—7)

#4—17: Tower of the Ironwood Watch (Tier 5—9)

#4—18: The Veteran's Vault (Tier 1—5)

#4—19: The Night March of Kalkamedes (Tier 1—5)

#4—20: Words of the Ancient (Tier 7—11)

#4—22: Halls of Dwarven Lore (Tier 5—9)

#4—23: Rivalry's End (Tier 3—7)

#4—24: The Price of Friendship (Tier 5—9)

#4—25: The Secrets Stones Keep (Tier 5—9)

#4—26: The Waking Rune (Tier 7—11)

Season 5

#5—00: Siege of the Diamond City (Gen Con Special, Tier 1—15)

#5—01: Title TBD (Tier 1—5) (English, French, and Spanish language)

#5—02: Title TBD (Tier 3—7) (English, French, and Spanish language)

#5—03: Title TBD (Tier 5—9) (English, French, and Spanish language)

We will be offering two exclusives this year at Gen Con, one on Thursday night and one on Saturday night. On Thursday evening, we'll be running a particularly challenging (and lethal) Tier 3—7 scenario, the Ruins of Bonekeep, Level 1: The Silent Grave, written by Jason Bulhman, Lead Designer at Paizo Publishing. This is the first of a series of special events designed to test your character to its limits. It debuted at Winter Fantasy this past January and will make a few limited appearances throughout the spring and summer convention season leading up to Gen Con. On Saturday night, we will follow up Ruins of Bonekeep, Level 1 with Ruins of Bonekeep, Level 2, also written by Jason. It is also being designed for Tier 3—7 characters, and again, will be particularly challenging and lethal. Ruins of Bonekeep, Level 2 will make its debut at Gen Con. For both of the exclusives, the threat of character death is very real, but the potential rewards are greater as a result. You will be able to, as a table, decide to leave the event at any time should it become too deadly for you, except when engaged in combat. If this is not the type of event for you, please look for other options during Slots 3 and 9. We will only run each level one time at Gen Con so both will be limited, exclusive events. On a side note, we will have a few limited tables running all three of the new Season 5 scenarios if you would rather not participate in either of the exclusives.

Illustration by Michal Ivan

In regard to the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box Introductions, we have two different offerings this year. During all 10 slots at Gen Con, we are setting aside five tables during each slot for these Beginner Box Introduction events. Both parts are scheduled with new players in mind. For Beginner Box Introductions, Part 1, it is the same as last year in that we will allow for the first 45—60 minutes to be an exploration of the contents of the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box, explaining the rules, and reviewing the pregenerated characters. The final four hours of each slot will be playing through the four, one-hour adventures that were offered last year. For Beginner Box Introductions, Part 2, the GM will assist players in advancing their character to 3rd level. The Beginner Box Transitions, Player Pack, and GM Kit will be reviewed. Once those three free documents have been covered, we will be offering up five brand-new, one-hour adventures as time permits. Much like the four adventures in Part 1, these will be utilizing only the Beginner Box rules.

We'll also be expanding the Pathfinder Kids' Track this year! We will be setting aside five tables at each slot for all 10 slots of the convention. We are focusing on players aged 6—12 and we will be using the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box for this as well. The Kids' Track is divided into two parts—the Beginner Track and the Advanced Track. Each kids' Beginner Track slot will be two hours long and each player will receive a check-off card, similar to what was used last year and at the Beginner Box Bash in 2011. The first hour of each of the 10 kids' Beginner Track sessions teaches roleplaying and rules, and reviews the pregenerated characters found in the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box. During the second hour, one of the four, one-hour adventures used during the Beginner Box Bash will be played.

For the kids' Advanced Track, we are focusing on children who participated in last year's kids' Beginner Track, at a local kids' Beginner Track session near their home, or for older children that have prior experience with Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. The GM at each of the two-hour slots will help the children level-up their chosen character to third level. After leveling is complete, the GM will run one of five new adventures designed using the Beginner Box rules.

We will be running each of the nine different adventures multiple times throughout the convention to allow flexible scheduling for children and parents. We will be restricting tables to four children players and are requiring a parent or guardian be present with the child (or multiple children if two or more are interested in participating) for the entire two hours. The parent or guardian will assist the child when needed. We want to make this a good and memorable experience for the kids that attend Gen Con, who often find little they can participate in, especially with others their own age. We will be scheduling 30, two-hour tables per day on Thursday through Saturday, and 20, two-hour tables on Sunday, for the Kids' Track, divided between the Beginner Track and Advanced Track.

If a child plays all four different adventures in the Beginner Track, he will be able to present his check-off card to HQ and receive a special certificate that celebrates his accomplishments. If a child plays all five different adventures in the Advanced Track, she will be able to present her check-off card to HQ and receive a second, different special certificate. Each of the certificates has a different boon that can be applied to a new Pathfinder Society character if the child finishes both Kids' Tracks and wants to advance from the Beginner Box and participate in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. We may also have other giveaways or special prizes, such as dice and minaitures, similar to last year. I will be very picky when choosing volunteer GMs for the Kids' Track. I prefer to have school teachers and other professionals with experience dealing with children. I will consider GMs who are parents even if they do not deal with children regularly in their profession. If you are volunteering to GM the Kids' Track, please make sure to include all of your credentials. Also, since these are scheduled as two-hour blocks, a GM will be required to run two Kids' Track slots back to back in a four-hour block to count as 1 slot of credit toward GM rewards.

We are bringing back GM 101 in both of its parts—the breakout sessions and the Deck of Many Situations. In addition to GM 101, we will be showing off GM 201, which will debut at PaizoCon and build on the lessons learned from the GM 101 course. On a side note, the last draft I saw circulating around the office had 22 other seminars scheduled besides just the two GM classes!

Finally, I need volunteers who have experience with the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game (“Project Swallowtail”) playtest to run demos in the Dealer Hall next to Paizo's booth. You can volunteer to work one or two five-hour blocks each day from 9 AM to 6 PM (Sunday ends at 4 PM). Volunteering for any demo time will count toward your GM reward credit below.

Now, let's talk about the GMs and volunteers we need to pull all of the above off and make it the biggest and best Gen Con ever.

I need a minimum of 300 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games, Beginner Box Introductions, Kids' Track events, GM 101 and 201, and Pathfinder Adventure Card Game demos. I'll continue taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled, at which point I will create a waiting list in the event that a scheduled GM has to cancel their Gen Con trip for whatever reason. I also need a few Volunteer Assistants for each slot of the show. These folks will not GM during their volunteer slots, but will instead help me run Pathfinder Society HQ, including marshaling, collecting tickets, distributing GM packs, entering tracking sheets into the database, and they will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society. Keep in mind these positions are very limited and likely to fill up in the first few hours after the blog goes live.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at Gen Con 2013. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. You can request a special event if you like, but it will not be guaranteed. Those who are able to spice up their event by adding 3D terrain, props that stand out, and the like will be given first consideration for specific events. I will let you know the slots and scenarios you have been assigned as soon as possible. You may designate what tier of scenarios you wish to GM but fulfilling this request is not guaranteed. I will, however, do the best I can to accommodate your requests. My target date to have all GMs their assigned schedules is April 19. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule, before the May 19 event registration, with your friends and family who are also attending Gen Con 2013. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at Gen Con 2013.

When you email me, I need you to include the following information in your email:

The email address that is tied to your Gen Con account.

The email address that is tied to your Paizo.com account.

I need to know if you have received the purple goblin Pathfinder Society volunteer shirts at a previous show. If not, I need to know what size you wear.

Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Tier 1 GM Volunteers

Tier 1 GM volunteers are invaluable to making the show a success. Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 8 slots. Tier 1 GMs may feel free to volunteer for more than 8 slots if they so desire. I only have room for 116 Tier 1 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts about being able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2013 badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Hyatt Regency Hotel

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A special Pathfinder Society boon that gives you the option of choosing a one-time complete rebuild of any level character OR the choice to create a character from one of the following races: grippli, ifrit, oread, suli, sylph, undine, or vishkanya.

Tier 2 GM Volunteers

Tier 2 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 7 slots. I only have room for 44 Tier 2 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier—it fills up very quickly. Tier 2 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2013 badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Hyatt Regency Hotel

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A special Pathfinder Society boon that gives you the option to create a character from one of the following races: ifrit, oread, sylph, or undine.

Volunteering for 1, 2, or 3 Slots

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A special Pathfinder Society boon that gives you the choice to create a character from one of the following races: ifrit, oread, sylph, or undine.

When Volunteering...

Again, please be specific about what days and how many slots you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to slots and scenarios on an as-needed basis. I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help. You must have a gencon.com account and you must include your email address tied to your Gen Con account in your email or I won't be able to get you a badge (obviously this is only for volunteers who are volunteering for 5 or more slots). Include the email address tied to your Paizo.com account so I can make sure you receive the scenarios in your downloads. Finally, I need to know if you have received the purple goblin Pathfinder Society volunteer shirts in the past. If not, I need to know what size you need.

Please Welcome Our New Pathfinder Society Developer!

Feb 22, 2013, 10:00 AM

Today is an exciting day for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Pathfinder Society has been given a new developer who will be dedicated solely to helping me strengthen and grow organized play. John Compton comes to Paizo from Atlanta, GA. This is not the first time I have worked with John. When I was the acting Venture-Captain in Atlanta, John was one of my store liaisons. The store where he helped coordinate, along with current Georgia co-Venture-Captains Kyle and Nani Pratt, has been the fastest-growing store and currently has the largest regular player base in Georgia.

Please Welcome Our New Pathfinder Society Developer!

Friday, February 22, 2013

Today is an exciting day for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. Pathfinder Society has been given a new developer who will be dedicated solely to helping me strengthen and grow organized play. John Compton comes to Paizo from Atlanta, GA. This is not the first time I have worked with John. When I was the acting Venture-Captain in Atlanta, John was one of my store liaisons. The store where he helped coordinate, along with current Georgia co-Venture-Captains Kyle and Nani Pratt, has been the fastest-growing store and currently has the largest regular player base in Georgia.

John has as much passion about improving Pathfinder Society as I do. He brings some awesome ideas with him and I think all of you will be happy with the results. John will introduce himself and some of his goals in the Pathfinder Society blog post scheduled for March 4. Until then, I am sure he will have his hands full catching up with the plans we have already put into motion for the future of Pathfinder Society. Please join me in welcoming him to Paizo Publishing!

Official Call for PaizoCon 2013 Volunteers

Feb 4, 2013, 10:00 AM

We plan to make PaizoCon 2013 an even bigger event than it was last year! I am scheduling 210 tables of Pathfinder Society over three days. We will be offering all Season 4 scenarios multiple times, including the debut of the season's final four scenarios. We are also scheduling numerous tables of the first level of Jason Bulmahn's megadungeon Ruins of Bonekeep: The Silent Grave. In addition, we will be debuting the Season 5 Pathfinder Society Special that kicks the season off on Friday night. This is the same multi-table special that will be run as the Gen Con special. Finally, we'll be offering GM 101 sessions again, and hopefully showing off the debut of the follow-up GM 201 program. It should be an awesome time.

Official Call for PaizoCon 2013 Volunteers

Monday, February 4, 2013

We plan to make PaizoCon 2013 an even bigger event than it was last year! I am scheduling 210 tables of Pathfinder Society over three days. We will be offering all Season 4 scenarios multiple times, including the debut of the season's final four scenarios. We are also scheduling numerous tables of the first level of Jason Bulmahn's megadungeon Ruins of Bonekeep: The Silent Grave. In addition, we will be debuting the Season 5 Pathfinder Society Special that kicks the season off on Friday night. This is the same multi-table special that will be run as the Gen Con special. Finally, we'll be offering GM 101 sessions again, and hopefully showing off the debut of the follow-up GM 201 program. It should be an awesome time.

I need a minimum of 75 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games and I'll keep taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled! I also need 4 Volunteer Assistants for the show—these folks will not GM, but will instead help me run Pathfinder Society HQ and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at PaizoCon 2013. Keep in mind that you're volunteering for slots, not a specific event. We will let you know the slots you have been assigned to before the lottery goes live. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule with your friends who are also attending PaizoCon 2013. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at PaizoCon 2013.

Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Volunteer Assistant: 4 needed, treated as a Tier 1 GM

Tier 1 GM Volunteers: Tier 1 GM volunteers are my everyday GMs. They are invaluable to making the show a success! Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 5 slots. I only have room for 30 Tier 1 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you'll be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 3-day PaizoCon 2013 badge

A $10-per-slot voucher for paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions.

A FREE copy of one printed Paizo product of your choice valued at $49.99 or less.

A FREE Pathfinder Society goblin volunteer t-shirt.

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.

Tier 2 GM Volunteers: While the rewards for volunteering for this tier are smaller, the majority of my volunteers will come from Tier 2. Tier 2 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 4 slots. Tier 2 GMs receive:

A FREE 3-day PaizoCon 2013 badge

A $10-per-slot voucher for paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions.

A $10-per-slot voucher for paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including subscriptions.

A FREE Pathfinder Society goblin volunteer t-shirt.

A special Pathfinder Society GM boon available only at PaizoCon.

While we will gladly accept anyone who wants to run just one slot during the show, there are no rewards for doing so other than our thanks.

When volunteering, please be specific about what days you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to scenarios on an as-needed basis, so you really only need to tell me the day(s) you're volunteering for. I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help. You must have a paizo.com account and you must include your paizo.com email address in your email or I won't be able to get you a badge (obviously this is only for volunteers who are volunteering for 4 or more slots).

Slot 1: Friday 8 AM to 1 PM

Slot 2: Friday 1 PM to 6 PM

Slot 3: Friday 7 PM to 12 AM

Slot 4: Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM

Slot 5: Saturday 1 PM to 6 PM

Slot 6: Sunday 9 AM to 2 PM

All PaizoCon 2013 volunteers should please email me at mike.brock@paizo.com with the subject line PaizoCon Volunteer.

Thanks in advance for volunteering, good luck, and have a great spring convention season!

Pathfinder Society in Ireland

Jan 14, 2013, 10:00 AM

We move from our last international blog in Finland to a relatively new Pathfinder Society lodge in Ireland. I met my first Irish players at PaizoCon UK last summer and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Venture-Captain Dave Harrison and Venture-Lieutenant Rob Silk had been handling the entire United Kingdom by themselves and I decided it was time to give them a break. After all, that is a huge area. So, after talking to them and they were in agreement, I assigned them to solely focus on England while I looked for new regional coordinators in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It wasn't long before Pathfinder Society veteran William Boyle stepped up to assume the Venture-Captain role of Ireland.

Pathfinder Society in Ireland

Monday, January 14, 2013

We move from our last international blog in Finland to a relatively new Pathfinder Society lodge in Ireland. I met my first Irish players at PaizoCon UK last summer and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Venture-Captain Dave Harrison and Venture-Lieutenant Rob Silk had been handling the entire United Kingdom by themselves and I decided it was time to give them a break. After all, that is a huge area. So, after talking to them and they were in agreement, I assigned them to solely focus on England while I looked for new regional coordinators in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. It wasn't long before Pathfinder Society veteran William Boyle stepped up to assume the Venture-Captain role of Ireland.

Without further delay, I present to you William's report on Pathfinder Society in Ireland.

Illustrations by Francisco Rico Torres and Imaginary Friends Studio.

My name is William Boyle and I am the Venture-Captain for Ireland, both North and South. I am aided and abetted in this by my Venture-Lieutenant, Andrew Wilson, along with a dedicated crew of gamers, GMs, store liaisons, FLGS owners and managers, games club runners, and long-suffering, significant others.

I was lucky enough to encounter Pathfinders and Golarion at Gen Con UK in England back in 2008. It was great, but back home in Ireland, there was not much sign of Golarion on either side of the border. Move forward a couple of years and we realised that there was this really cool organized play campaign, Pathfinder Society. After a couple of home games we knew this deserved a wider audience. So to work...

Traditionally, RPGs here were played more at games clubs, conventions, and home games than at the limited number of games shops. Pathfinder Society has become a big part of the RPG thread at "Q-Con" in Belfast. "Q-Con" is the annual convention of Queen's University Belfast Dragonslayers Society, and is the biggest Gaming/Anime con in these islands. Last year we also joined the official programme of Gaelcon—Ireland's biggest independent convention—after previous unofficial visits! When we go to conventions we like to get the Hirst Arts 3D terrain out to add a little "preindustrial light and magic" to the show!

We have also been lucky enough to run events at local games clubs, leading to invitations to go to others. As the word has spread, brilliant GMs in other parts of the country such as Nina Hanzlikova and Liam O'Tailliuir have run Pathfinder Society at local clubs and conventions! We have run all nighters and 24 hours sessions at the Dragonslayers. We even appeared on a segment on the excellent www.theadventuringparty.net podcast!

Since the start of Pathfinder Society, games shops here have begun to spring up that allow games to be played on site.

In Northern Ireland we have The Black Knight (Larne) and Creative Destruction (Portadown). In the Irish Republic, Pathfinder Society is played at Gamers Hub in Maynooth. Additionally, Gamers World in Dublin city centre will have it's first Pathfinder Society session in early 2013.

In 2013, Pathfinder Society will be at the same conventions noted above, but we will also be adding Warpcon and Leprecon to the list. The monthly games held at TBK have led to home based AP games (now also under the Pathfinder Society umbrella), and at the December 2012 game, almost every Pathfinder book, map, and mini on the shelves was snapped up.

We enter 2013 with high hopes and plans to expand on all fronts. Sam Johnston is our Store Liaison (aka Venture Sergeant) in "Creative Destruction Games" and Gary Bingham the same for The Black Knight in Larne. With these two dedicated volunteers, we are lucky to have a top IT gal and guy who are working on our home page and player database.

I cannot finish without recognising the tremendous support that Mike Brock and Dave Harrison have and continue to provide. Many thanks, fellas!

So if anyone is considering a trip to Ireland let us know we'd love to have you over for a game!

William BoyleVenture-Captain, Ireland

Thank you to all of the players and GMs and the VC and VL for creating an awesome Pathfinder Society lodge in Ireland. I look forward to having a pint or three with all of you at The Sack of Potatoes Pub during PaizoCon UK this coming July. Keep up the awesome work!

Annual State of the Pathfinder Society Campaign and the Release of Guide 4.3

Jan 7, 2013, 10:25 AM

Wow, it's 2013 already! The past year has been a good one for Pathfinder Society Orgainzed Play in many regards. With all the changes that have taken place, as well as the goals set for the future, I thought it was important to give a report of how last year has played out.

Annual State of the Pathfinder Society Campaign and the Release of Guide 4.3

Monday, January 7, 2013

Wow, it's 2013 already! The past year has been a good one for Pathfinder Society Orgainzed Play in many regards. With all the changes that have taken place, as well as the goals set for the future, I thought it was important to give a report of how last year has played out.

First, and most importantly, I want to thank all of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, regional and convention coordinators, GMs, and people I use as sounding boards (you know who you are). Without all of you, I would not be able to achieve everything listed below and make Pathfinder Society as great as it is. I also want to thank all of our players and fans. Without you, I wouldn't have an awesome job to come to each morning. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your efforts and support.

The Pathfinder Society campaign has already seen numerous positive improvements and changes. Here is a short list of things we've accomplished together in 2012:

The recruitment and assignment of more than 175 new Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants to help us grow Pathfinder Society by having a Paizo 'face' in many local areas. These include new regions in new countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, South Africa, and Turkey.

Page 10: Added the following under the religion entry: "Druids, oracles, and rangers are the exception to this rule. The list is not exhaustive, and divine spellcasters of any future classes whose sources are added as additional resources to the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign will be required to choose a deity unless otherwise specified."

Page 22: Reworded the note regarding First Steps for clarity, and added a sentence advising that Prestige Points be awarded after playing each part of the First Steps series.

Pages 27—28: Changed the name of the section "Retirement and Beyond" to "Beyond Level 11." Reworded the section for clarity and added the special title of Seeker for any Pathfinder agent who has achieved 12th level.

Pages 35: Changed the text in the Table Variance section to allow GMs more flexibility and better adjudication at their tables.

Page 47: Added an index.

We've addressed our leadership, our organization, our ground game, and our rules. And we couldn't have done any of it without all of you.

All that is great, but it's not enough. We're not done yet (which means that we all have more work to do). I'm excited about the future of the Society. In particular, the following items on my now-less-than-secret to-do list excite me:

Continuing to go to as many conventions as I can get to. My upcoming 2013 schedule includes:

My goal is to meet as many Pathfinder Society players, GMs, and coordinators as I can face to face. I encourage you to introduce yourself to me at those conventions.

The plotline for Season 5 has been worked out. We will start working toward Season 6 shortly.

We are looking at ways to make faction missions have a meaningful impact on the campaign.

Improve the Retailer Support program, including upgrades to the website interface to make it more user friendly for both retailers and customers.

Improve the GM Rewards program.

Expanding the Venture-Captain program to additional areas in North America, as well as increasing the number of Venture-Captains internationally.

Working with IT to integrate a more user-friendly website for event coordinators.

Continuing to highlight international Pathfinder Society play through monthly blog posts.

The last year has been a great learning experience for me as Pathfinder Society continually evolves and improves. There have been some bumps in the road, but nothing that has proven insurmountable. I already knew that the Pathfinder Society community is smart, diverse, and very passionate. It is amazing how much energy and enthusiasm you all have for the game and it is very inspiring. Likewise, the people here at Paizo are some of the most creative and different-thinking people I've ever met. It's as amazing as you'd think it was.

I will finish with letting everyone know that I will continue to do the best job I possibly can to help Pathfinder Society grow and improve. Sometimes I will make mistakes. But, if I do make a mistake, I will own up to it. As always, I am available for all of you to reach out to me with concerns, criticisms, thoughts, suggestions, venting, and ideas via email, private message, Skype, phone call, carrier pigeon, written letter, message spell, pony express, contact other plane spell, or sending spell.

Crystalhue Holiday and Pathfinder Online

Dec 17, 2012, 10:18 AM

Just in time for Christmas, we have a new holiday boon! Developer Adam Daigle was so excited when he detailed Evoking Day last month that I was able to rope... err... convince him to write a second holiday post for Pathfinder Society. This time, Adam took the original work regarding Crystalhue, written by Crystal Frasier in Wayfinder #2, and expanded on it. The holiday of Crystalhue is also mentioned on page 249 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide. You will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character during the date ranges noted on the sheet.

Crystalhue Holiday and Pathfinder Online

Monday, December 17, 2012

Just in time for Christmas, we have a new holiday boon! Developer Adam Daigle was so excited when he detailed Evoking Day last month that I was able to rope... err... convince him to write a second holiday post for Pathfinder Society. This time, Adam took the original work regarding Crystalhue, written by Crystal Frasier in Wayfinder #2, and expanded on it. The holiday of Crystalhue is also mentioned on page 249 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide. You will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character during the date ranges noted on the sheet.

Illustration by Eva Widermann

During the day, in towns where the holiday of Crystalhue is celebrated, locals hang crystal prisms and glass baubles throughout town in order to spread light and scatter rainbows in the streets. As townsfolk prepare for the evening festivities, artisans and musicians ply their trades, hoping for a coin or two while they sell their crafts and play tunes for the people while they browse. Throughout the day, the locals exchange small gifts, typically handmade, as tokens of appreciation or as peace offerings to those they feel they wronged during the year.

To reflect artistic depictions of their patron goddess, women dye colored streaks in their hair. Young girls will commonly have half a dozen different colored locks, while older married women usually only have one or two. Men wear colorful patchwork coats they call melaros that they keep their whole lives, adding new patches or scraps of scavenged cloth every year.

As night falls, the community gathers every available lantern and candle, bringing them out onto porches or lining the streets with their communal light. The town square hosts a large feast around a bonfire complete with roasted meats, stewed vegetables, roasted root vegetables, and winter squashes—all seasoned with plenty of fragrant spices. Around these bonfires, the clergy of Shelyn perform marriage ceremonies, where the whole community gathers to witness and affirm the bonds of love. During the ceremonies, teenagers pursue their budding romances, giving trinkets and other symbols of their affection to the ones who caught their eye throughout the year.

One of the stranger traditions among the faithful of Shelyn is the Zonzon doll. A child chosen to be the “sibling” passes this strange little doll, made from scraps of leather and cloth and sewn with red thread, among neighbors. The townsfolk give it symbolic gifts and whisper apologies to those they’ve wronged during the year or share with the doll happy memories in order to represent Shelyn’s kindness and mercy to her now-lost brother Zon-Kuthon. The “sibling” child brings the doll to everyone in town during the festival, making sure everyone has had the chance to pay his or her dues and make peace. As the celebration winds down, the doll is cast into the wilderness or set afloat to drift down a river in the hope that it will find its way to the Midnight Lord and relate his sister’s kindness, mercy, and goodwill in the face of the dark place he now resides.

Also this past week, a Pathfinder Society boon was added to the $5 sponsorship level of the Pathfinder Online Kickstarter. The emerald elixir, stolen from a bizarre pool in the Emerald Spire dungeon, has now been made available for Pathfinders. When used at an official Pathfinder Society game table, drinking the elixir grants your hero the advanced simple template for the duration of the scenario. Alternately, the elixir can be spiked with experimental agents to trigger a beneficial permanent mutation randomly determined on a huge chart included on the certificate. If more than one player activates an emerald elixir at the same table, all drinkers can choose their preferred mutation from the list rather than roll randomly.

There will not be another Pathfinder Society blog post until January 7, 2013, so I want to take this time to wish all of you a happy holidays. I hope everyone has a great time visiting family, giving gifts, and hopefully enjoying some Pathfinder Society with the new holiday boon. We’ll see you in 2013!

Click here to download the Crystalhue 4712 Boon! — 117 KB (zip/PDF)—This Boon is no longer available as of 1/9/13.

Sanctioning Adventure Paths for Pathfinder Society

Dec 10, 2012, 11:08 AM

Adventure Paths are the staple item here at Paizo. Since the inception of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, some people have wanted to play the Adventure Paths and receive credit for their Pathfinder Society characters. This is one of the few bullet-list items I have been trying to figure out since I arrived 15 months ago. The release of the Shattered Star Adventure Path and its close ties to the Pathfinder Society made it even more imperative that we find a way to include Adventure Paths in sanctioned Organized Play. We feel it's the right thing to do, both from a business perspective and as a way of making even more material available for event organizers and players who've gone through what we already produced and are chomping at the bit for more.

Sanctioning Adventure Paths for Pathfinder Society

Monday, December 10, 2012

Adventure Paths are the staple item here at Paizo. Since the inception of Pathfinder Society Organized Play, some people have wanted to play the Adventure Paths and receive credit for their Pathfinder Society characters. This is one of the few bullet-list items I have been trying to figure out since I arrived 15 months ago. The release of the Shattered Star Adventure Path and its close ties to the Pathfinder Society made it even more imperative that we find a way to include Adventure Paths in sanctioned Organized Play. We feel it's the right thing to do, both from a business perspective and as a way of making even more material available for event organizers and players who've gone through what we already produced and are chomping at the bit for more.

Over the past few months, we have dedicated a large percentage of our weekly Pathfinder Society meetings to make sure we have the best formula for as seamless a fit as possible in sanctioning Adventure Paths. We could not find an easy solution to allow play through an entire Adventure Path, or to easily port a character in and out of a specific volume of an Adventure Path. With the feedback of our Venture-Officers, we think we have a system that can appeal to the widest audience.

The solution we've landed on is treating one section of a Pathfinder Adventure Path volume like a module. It would generally be played over one to three sessions, and grant 3 XP, 4 PP, and a level-dependent amount of gp. An example you will find on the first Chronicle sheet is from the first installment of Rise of the Runelords, Burnt Offerings. When you play through areas C1 through E10 of Thistletop, your GM may assign you the Chronicle sheet for Burnt Offerings.

If possible, all players must use an existing Pathfinder Society character (without modification) within 1 level of the starting level of the sanctioned content from a Pathfinder Adventure Path. In the example used above for Burnt Offerings, you would use a 3rd-, 4th-, or 5th-level character.

For Adventure Path content below 9th level, if you do not have a character in the correct level range, you may use a Pathfinder Society pregenerated character or the Iconics found in the NPC Codex. If you play a 1st-level pregenerated character, you may apply the credit from that character to a newly created character of your very own, with the gp gained reduced to 1,398 gp (or 699 gp for slow advancement track characters). If you play a non-1st-level pregenerated character, you may apply the credit to your character as soon as she reaches the level of the pregenerated character played. Equipment listed on the pregenerated character sheet may only be sold to clear conditions, such as death, during the play of the module and any remaining wealth does not carry over at the end of the module.

Alternatively, if you are participating in a Pathfinder Adventure Path with an ongoing home group undertaking the entire campaign, you may receive credit for playing the sanctioned portions of the adventure as if you had played a pregenerated character. In this case, GMs running the Adventure Path are not bound to the rules of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign when running the campaign or the sanctioned portion of the adventure. Pathfinder Society characters and characters from an ongoing Adventure Path campaign may not play in the same adventure.

If a character dies and is brought back to life, the GM must determine the rewards for that character. The minimum possible reward is 0 gp, 1 XP, and 1 PP on the medium advancement track or 0 gp, 1/2 XP, and 1/2 PP on the slow advancement track. If a character participates in more than two-thirds of the sanctioned content of an Adventure Path, she should receive the full rewards. GMs and active players are encouraged to hasten the return of any characters waiting to be raised from the dead.

Players who do not complete each game session earn 1/3 fewer gp, 1 fewer XP, and 1 fewer Prestige Point for each session missed. This also applies to players who join later sessions; they receive 1/3 fewer gp, 1 fewer XP, and 1 fewer Prestige Point for each session missed. In both cases, players earn a minimum of 1/3 gp, 1 XP, and 1 Prestige Point.

As always, each player may receive credit for each sanctioned Adventure Path volume once as a player and once as a GM, in either order. Players must accept Chronicle sheets for their characters the first time they play any sanctioned content. A player may replay a sanctioned Adventure Path at the GM’s discretion, but the player may not receive more than one Chronicle sheet per adventure. The only exception is Tier 1–2 sanctioned Adventure Path content. A player may only play a Tier 1–2 sanctioned Adventure Path for credit once with a 2nd-level character, but may use additional 1st-level characters to replay the same content for credit.

Since sanctioned Adventure Paths can be multi-session events, a Pathfinder Society character may not be used in other Pathfinder Society events until the character receives a Chronicle sheet for the Adventure Path volume. GMs are advised to work with players who miss the final session of the module or AP in order for those players to receive their Chronicle sheets.

The data entry system has already been updated to include all 10 of the current sanctioned Adventure Path volumes. Data is entered into our reporting system in the same manner as sanctioned modules. You receive credit toward GM stars the same as sanctioned modules.

The Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.3, scheduled for release next month, will update Chapter 6 with all info about sanctioned Adventure Paths and how they work within Pathfinder Society.

Initially, we are only sanctioning Rise of the Runelords Anniversary Edition and Shattered Star Adventure Paths. If those are well received, we will consider sanctioning other Adventure Paths in the future. You can find the rules for running these in Pathfinder Society Organized Play and the Chronicle sheets on their respective product pages.

We are excited with the solution that this not only expands normal Pathfinder Society play options, but also increases play opportunities past 12th level. We hope that this will also allow players who enjoy our Adventure Paths, but have not yet experienced Pathfinder Society, to give our organized play a try.

We understand there are a lot of very strong opinions among the player base about whether we should sanction Adventure Paths and how they should be implemented. We value your opinions and look forward to reading your thoughts about the exciting new play options we have introduced today. With your input, we can make Pathfinder Society better for all.

Pathfinder Society in Finland

Nov 26, 2012, 10:00 AM

We move from our last international blog in South Africa to a location in the extreme north: Finland. I knew that Finland had a very strong playerbase in Pathfinder Society during its first few years, but for whatever reason, interest had waned. Back in May, I wanted to bring back the Finnish fanbase because I knew they could only add to the Pathfinder Society experience and make it better. After a series of emails answering concerns, Jukka Särkijärvi agreed to come on board as a Venture-Captain and help revitalize Pathfinder Society in Finland. After six months, I can say that he and his Venture-Lieutenant, Jussi Leinonen, have done an excellent job and I am excited to see Pathfinder Society once again a highlight of gaming in Finland.

Pathfinder Society in Finland

Monday, November 26, 2012

Illustration by Daren Bader

We move from our last international blog in South Africa to a location in the extreme north: Finland. I knew that Finland had a very strong playerbase in Pathfinder Society during its first few years, but for whatever reason, interest had waned. Back in May, I wanted to bring back the Finnish fanbase because I knew they could only add to the Pathfinder Society experience and make it better. After a series of emails answering concerns, Jukka Särkijärvi agreed to come on board as a Venture-Captain and help revitalize Pathfinder Society in Finland. After six months, I can say that he and his Venture-Lieutenant, Jussi Leinonen, have done an excellent job and I am excited to see Pathfinder Society once again a highlight of gaming in Finland.

Without further ado, I present to you Jukka and Jussi's report on Pathfinder Society in Finland.

We had Pathfinder Society in Finland at the very beginning. The campaign's registration in 2008 actually began during Ropecon, our largest annual gaming convention (roughly 3,500 attendees), where Sampo Haarlaa and I had a presentation about organized play campaigns, which we had already written for, played, and organized for years. Ropecon 2008 was slightly too early for there to be Pathfinder Society at the convention, so the first actual session—Murder on the Silken Caravan—wasn't run until two weeks later. Jukka Särkijärvi, later to become Venture-Captain, ran that one. He didn't get to play his first session until some three weeks later, and after an unlucky critical hit, became the first Finnish Society player who needed to register a second character.

Jukka eventually became the first player to lose two characters, and after a series of unfortunate and inexplicable TPKs, shortly after he was appointed Venture-Captain, he lost the distinction of owning the most dead PCs. The most dead PCs at tables he ran, on the other hand...

Pathfinder Society started slowly over here. There were maybe 25 somewhat active players spread out between the Helsinki metropolitan area and we played through new scenarios as they came out. We were usually soon left hankering for more until we got our next fix. People eventually gravitated toward running Adventure Paths for fixed groups or to different games altogether. After the flowering of Season 0, for two years we had very little Pathfinder Society in Finland outside of Ropecon.

In 2011, Ropecon asked if Erik Mona might be interested in coming over as a guest of honor. He said "yes," and the rest is history. It gave the community new energy to run and play, and we had the untouched expanse of two years of modules at our disposal, with no danger of running out. Old players came back and new ones were recruited. In the end, Ropecon 2011 featured a very modest seven sessions of Pathfinder Society (out of a total of 165 sessions of roleplaying games), but we had Erik there, which kindled the enthusiasm of the wider player base, and it continued long after he had left the country.

In the Helsinki area, much of the resurgence in Society play happened through the involvement of the RPG actives of the local engineering university. There, it quickly became apparent that the organized play model, where Game Masters and fellow party members change from one session to another, was ideally suited for busy students whose unpredictable schedules made it difficult to commit to campaigns with a regular group. During Season 3, more sessions of Pathfinder Society were run in Finland than during the previous three seasons combined. Ropecon 2012 saw 20 tables of Pathfinder Society, including the Blood Under Absalom special. We could probably have accommodated a few more tables, but three of our five most active Pathfinder Society Game Masters, including Venture-Captain Jukka Särkijärvi and Helsinki Venture-Lieutenant Jussi Leinonen, were members of the organizing committee and busy with other duties during the convention.

The Lay of the Land

As stated, Ropecon is the primary gaming convention in Finland, held every summer in Espoo, next to the capital city of Helsinki. The second most important is Tracon, which used to bounce around the calendar from winter to spring until finally settling in the early autumn where it now resides. It is primarily an anime convention (the anime fans are enthusiastic and numerous and we're still trying to figure out how to get them interested in roleplaying games), but thanks to the organizers' varied interests, there are also some roleplaying games scheduled. At this year's Tracon, we had seven tables of Pathfinder Society (out of some 20 sessions altogether) and again, there was demand for more, but the convention ran out of room for tabletop games. We foresee significant growth for both Pathfinder Society and roleplaying games in general for next year's Tracon, and are working closely with their organizing committee to give these offerings a greater prominence at the convention.

There are also smaller conventions in the country, such as Conklaavi in Turku and the biannual Maracon in Oulu. Bringing Pathfinder Society to these conventions and trying to start up self-sustaining player communities and eventually appoint Venture-Lieutenants for these cities is also on the agenda.

At the moment, outside of the convention season, Pathfinder Society in Finland is centered around the university gaming clubs in Helsinki, Espoo and Tampere. Autumn is an especially fruitful time for introducing new players to the campaign, with the influx of new students.

Unlike America, Finland has never really had a culture of playing RPGs in games stores, but we are currently working to change that with regular games scheduled at the Puolenkuun Pelit store in Tampere. At the time of writing, however, the campaign in Finland is strongly focused on running a single session at a time, with the occasional convention and club game day with more activity. We also currently don't have regular weekly game evenings, and each session is coordinated individually at our community wiki and messageboard. Although this approach requires some more initiative on behalf of the gamers, it also adds flexibility as nobody is excluded from Society gaming just because he or she happens to have the regular day of the week booked for something else. With the prominence of current and former university students in the player base, we have been able to use the campus clubrooms for additional public gaming space. These have been important especially for introducing new players, whom the regulars are understandably hesitant to invite to home games. Running games in a public area also brings visibility to Pathfinder Society through the curiosity of other gamers hanging around.

The number of active players in Finland stands at an approximate 60, though the amount of active Game Masters is not quite large enough to meet the demand. We are working on changing this, too, and it is a happy thing to see players enthusiastically taking up the GM screen. Here as well, the organized play model of Pathfinder Society has proven to be advantageous: prospective Game Masters can give GMing a try without committing themselves to providing a long-running campaign, and nobody is worse off if the new GM decides that it's not for her, or something she prefers to do only once every few months. This has encouraged many new people to run games who might have otherwise been unlikely to do so, despite the fact that GMing in an organized play campaign might be considered to require a higher standard of quality than a "casual" game.

Due to our northerly location beyond the Baltic Sea, the Finnish gaming scene is relatively isolated even from the rest of Europe, not to mention North America. That said, the great majority of gamers around here are happy to play a session in English (after all, that's the language we read our rulebooks in), and many fluent GMs can also be found.

If you find yourself in Finland in need of a Society game, email us at pfshelsinki@gmail.com (Helsinki metropolitan area) or pfsfinland@gmail.com (the rest of the country). For the more serious gaming tourist, Ropecon (to be held July 26–28, 2013) is an increasingly international convention with some 3,500 visitors annually, with Pathfinder Society and much more.

Jukka SärkijärviVenture-Captain, Tampere, Finland

Jussi LeinonenVenture-Lieutenant, Helsinki, Finland

Thank you to all of the players, GMs, VCs, and VLs for reigniting an awesome Pathfinder Society Lodge in Finland. I look forward to the additions of new Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants in other regions of the country and watching Pathfinder Society grow strong. Keep up the awesome work!

Building Your Pathfinder Society Community: GM 101 and Kid's Track

Nov 19, 2012, 11:00 AM

Building Your Pathfinder Society Community: GM 101 and Kid's Track Monday, November 19, 2012 Last month, we offered a blog post that was the foundation of building your community. I wanted to build on that theme and have a series of blog posts that discuss how to contibute to and grow your local Pathfinder Society community. The first bullet point in that post suggested that you should offer to GM. However, you may feel you aren't experienced enough or don't know the rules well enough to be...

Building Your Pathfinder Society Community: GM 101 and Kid's Track

Monday, November 19, 2012

Last month, we offered a blog post that was the foundation of building your community. I wanted to build on that theme and have a series of blog posts that discuss how to contibute to and grow your local Pathfinder Society community.

The first bullet point in that post suggested that you should offer to GM. However, you may feel you aren't experienced enough or don't know the rules well enough to be a "good GM." One thing I have learned in my years of gaming is that often people who want to GM, but who feel too shy or uncomfortable running a table, actually turn out to be some of the best GMs.

Over the past year, our Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants have often said that there is a lack of GMs. This is why I worked with a group of the best GMs in the Georgia area (people I had personal experience playing with and GMing for) to develop a GM 101 course. This course debuted at PaizoCon and was also offered at Gen Con. The feedback from attendees was incredibly positive and it is now time to share the course with everyone. The GM 101 instructional PDF will support the running of GM 101 courses in your area. Even if someone just reads the GM 101 course, there is a ton of great information to be shared.

The course is divided into four lessons, each lasting approximately one hour. These include "Roleplaying: Bringing Scenarios to Life," "Rules: Enabling Awesomeness, Restricting Abuse," "Running the Game: The Science Behind the Art," and "Advanced Topics: When the Unexpected Strikes." These four basic topics will allow new GMs to ease into the role and also feel more comfortable overseeing the enjoyment of a table for a group of four to six players.

One thing the GM 101 PDF refers to in the second half of the course, but that it does not include, is the Deck of Many Situations. This deck allows new GMs who have been through the four building-block lessons above to take those instructions and adjudicate real situations that have occurred at Pathfinder Society tables at local game days and regional and national conventions. I will refer you to several of our Venture-Captains for access to the deck. They have developed different decks, which include situations encountered in their local regions. If you would like to obtain a Deck of Many Situations, please refer to the Pathfinder Society Regional Coordinators page. If your Regional Coordinator does not have a copy of the Deck of Many Situations, he or she will be able to obtain one from another Venture-Captain and provide it to you. Some of the more memorable situations I was able to be a part of at Paizo Con were "warring spouses" and "a child pitching a temper tantrum" (yes, I was playacting the child). It was interesting to see how GMs handled both of those very tricky situations.

The other PDF I wanted to provide for download today was the Kid's Track lesson plans. The lifeblood of our hobby is the next generation. A decade ago, I took my son to his first Gen Con when he was eight years old. There was very little for him to actually participate in or be involved with at that age. Over the years, I had toyed with the idea of creating some kid's games so that young children would have something to do. When I was hired by Paizo, it jumped to the top of my priority list since I had resources available that I had never had before. I reached out to Ontario Venture-Lieutenant Jeff Mahood to help me develop a lesson plan. He has experience with early childhood education and I wanted to gear these lesson plans for kids that were six to twelve years old. What he put together and provided blew me away and I can't thank him enough for his work on it.

With this awesome document in hand, I was unsure how it would go over at Gen Con. I reached out to several store owners and forum members, and received overwhelmingly positive feedback, so I put it on the official Gen Con schedule. We sold out every slot at Gen Con and ran eight unscheduled overfill tables. With the reponse we had at Gen Con 2012, I have my sights on expanding the program even more at Gen Con 2013.

What the Kid's Track lesson plan offers is four lessons on the basics of roleplaying games, broken down by the total minutes spent on each subject, using the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box to teach those fundamentals. Each lesson builds on the previous lesson and helps a GM teach children as young as six what roleplaying games are and how to play roleplaying games, specifically using the Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box rules. Each lesson plan is followed by the four children playing one of the four Beginner Box Bash Demo adventures.

I hope you find both of these PDFs useful for building Pathfinder Society, and roleplaying in general, in your community. I would love to hear your feedback on how we can make these programs better and look forward to reading your comments.

Evoking Day

Nov 13, 2012, 10:00 AM

Evoking Day Tuesday, November 13, 2012 Wow, it has been a while since we had a holiday blog. Well, back by popular demand, we are offering you a new bit of info on a Golarion holiday, as we celebrate our own federal holiday here in the United States—Veteran’s Day. As a veteran myself, I want to send out a heartfelt thank you to veterans of all five services. I know the sacrifice you have made for your country, and without your service and sacrifice, I couldn’t have the cool job I have today....

Evoking Day

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Wow, it has been a while since we had a holiday blog. Well, back by popular demand, we are offering you a new bit of info on a Golarion holiday, as we celebrate our own federal holiday here in the United States—Veteran’s Day. As a veteran myself, I want to send out a heartfelt thank you to veterans of all five services. I know the sacrifice you have made for your country, and without your service and sacrifice, I couldn’t have the cool job I have today. Take a minute to pat yourself on the back and reflect on your decision to unselfishly volunteer years of your life to make this country great.

Developer Adam Daigle gets his first shot at a Golarion holiday write up. He wrote the below description for Evoking Day and you will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character. Evoking Day is mentioned on page 249 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide.

A holy day to followers of Nethys, Evoking Day is full of vibrant explosions, skillful wielding of spells, and much dancing. Evoking Day is observed on the 18th of Neth, and while this holiday is mostly celebrated in Garund, temples dedicated to Nethys host celebrations throughout the Inner Sea region. Traditional celebrations of Evoking Day have changed over the thousands of years since its first incarnation, but to this day every occurrence of Evoking Day still features a grand meal shared by celebrants during the afternoon and a wondrous exhibition of brilliant and explosive magic once the sun sets. These days, such colorful magical displays are augmented with fireworks of a dozen different colors and patterns.

In temples of Nethys dedicated to revering evocation magic, priests and prominent arcanists participate in spell duels where each contestant stands on a raised platform and takes turns trying to incapacitate her opponent. The magic wielded in theses duels favors the flashy over the dangerous, but clerics of Nethys are on hand to treat any injuries. These duels gather large crowds eager to lend their applause to their favorite contestant.

It is also during this festival when wizards who worship Nethys open their spellbooks to others who share their craft. Wizards normally guard their spellbooks with their lives and covet the eldritch information therein, but on Evoking Day these wizards meet with one another prior to the afternoon feast to share their spells just as they prepare to share a grand meal.

Though Evoking Day is primarily a day of grand magic, those with no spellcasting talent still flock to local temples of Nethys to partake in the shared feast and flashy evening displays of magic and fireworks. Between the meal and into the night, celebrants wear black-and-white robes and perform joyous dances meant to give thanks to the wonders Nethys brought to humankind. These dances are grand affairs involving dozens of dancers all spinning and clapping to the accompanying music as their black-and-white robes fan out around them with each spin. As night descends and the fireworks and magical displays begin, the dancing rises to a climax erupting in shouts and calls to Nethys with each thunderous boom.

Click here to download the Evoking Day 4712 Boon! — 82 KB (zip/PDF)This Boon is no longer available as of 12/17/12.

Pathfinder Society in South Africa

Nov 5, 2012, 10:55 AM

Pathfinder Society in South Africa Monday, November 5, 2012 Time to offer you a blog post from one of our farthest-flung Pathfinder Society lodges in the world. From what I have been told, there has not been much of any kind of organized play, outside of Magic: The Gathering, in South Africa ever. When I saw one of our RPG Superstar hotshots was running Pathfinder Society there, I knew I had to reach out to him. I can’t say I ever expected to have Pathfinder Society coordinated anywhere on...

Pathfinder Society in South Africa

Monday, November 5, 2012

Time to offer you a blog post from one of our farthest-flung Pathfinder Society lodges in the world. From what I have been told, there has not been much of any kind of organized play, outside of Magic: The Gathering, in South Africa ever. When I saw one of our RPG Superstar hotshots was running Pathfinder Society there, I knew I had to reach out to him. I can’t say I ever expected to have Pathfinder Society coordinated anywhere on the African continent, except maybe in Egypt, so I was thrilled when Jerall accepted the Venture-Captain position after a series of emails.

Without further ado, I present to you Jerall’s report on Pathfinder South Africa.

South Africa is home to a varied mix of peoples, cultures, and eleven official languages. It is a strange country with a blend of beautiful natural spaces, burgeoning metropolises, and incredible wealth alongside abject poverty.

South African roleplayers are an eclectic bunch, each bringing a unique collection of experiences to the table. People from all over the world, including, historically, greater Africa, Asia, and Europe, have settled in South Africa—not too dissimilar from a real-world Absalom. It’s in this space that my fellow volunteers and I hope to grow the South African Pathfinder Society Lodge.

Earlier this year, Mike Brock noticed that we had begun reporting a few South African events each month. Mike contacted us through our event organizer email addresses and, a few emails later, we were well on our way to formalizing and growing Pathfinder Society Organized Play in Cape Town, and later Durban, and even ICON 2012, South Africa’s biggest convention in Johannesburg.

Classified as megadiverse, South Africa is a large country, encompassing nine different provinces, featuring eight major terrestrial biomes, and over 1.2 million square kilometers. At the moment, my two Venture-Lieutenants and I are focusing on three areas in particular: Cape Town and the Western Cape, Durban in Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Gauteng province, which includes both Pretoria and Johannesburg.

Roleplaying has a long history in South Africa, with our older conventions well into their second or third decades of existence. Traditionally though, any sort of gaming was only available to a rather small percentage of our total population. A few years ago, we saw many of our small game retailers shutting their doors. Now, however, South Africa is experiencing some sort of gaming renaissance with video-, board-, card-, and roleplaying gaming seeing a major upswing. New distribution channels are opening up regularly and gaming is slowly becoming cheaper and more accessible to a larger portion of our population. These days, you’ll even see numerous social outreach programs built around gaming—something that I’d like to see happen with Pathfinder Society South Africa too.

I organize and run a game day on every second Saturday at Fanaticus Hobbies and Games in Cape Town. In Durban, my Venture-Lieutenant, Paul, organizes and runs a game day once a month at the brand-new The Unseen Shoppe. At the moment we’re still a bit small—Cape Town sees about two tables per game day; Durban, one. The stores are particularly supportive, offering free use of their venues.

Of course, I’d like to see Pathfinder spread throughout the country. In Johannesburg, I have managed to arrange space at stores there, but we sorely lack for GMs in Gauteng. If you know of any Gauteng GMs looking for some help in setting up a regular game, send me an email and I’ll see if I can help kick off some regular games there. In fact, if you know of (or are) a GM, anywhere in the country, drop me a message and I’ll see about getting you started.

To find out more about the Durban scene, contact Paul at pathfindersadbn@gmail.com. For Cape Town, contact me at pathfinderza@gmail.com.

Jerall ToiVenture-Captain, South Africa

Thank you to all of the VCs and VLs for kick-starting an awesome Pathfinder Society Lodge in South Africa. I look forward to the additions of new Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants in other regions of the country and watching Pathfinder Society grow strong. Keep up the awesome work!

The Urge to Evolve

Oct 29, 2012, 12:13 PM

The Urge to Evolve Monday, October 29, 2012 Back in spring 2011, the first Pathfinder Society Quest, Ambush in Absalom, was released in the pages of Kobold Quarterly (and has since been made available as a free PDF here on paizo.com). Last spring, knowing that we'd soon be using quests as the format of our Pathfinder Society Open Call and urged by Kobold-in-Chief Wolfgang Baur to put some new Pathfinder Society content in the magazine, I asked frequent KQ contributor and my fellow Pathfinder...

The Urge to Evolve

Monday, October 29, 2012

Back in spring 2011, the first Pathfinder Society Quest, "Ambush in Absalom," was released in the pages of Kobold Quarterly (and has since been made available as a free PDF here on paizo.com). Last spring, knowing that we'd soon be using quests as the format of our Pathfinder Society Open Call and urged by Kobold-in-Chief Wolfgang Baur to put some new Pathfinder Society content in the magazine, I asked frequent KQ contributor and my fellow Pathfinder developer Adam Daigle to write one up for me. And did he ever!

Called "The Urge to Evolve," this Tier 3–7 quest features a sinister plot by a powerful outsider who needs to consume humanoid spirits in order to increase its own might. Set in Magnimar, this adventure can easily be used during the Year of the Risen Rune as a time-filler or quick demo (using either 4th- or 7th-level pregenerated characters for those new to the game), and fits thematically with the Varisian focus of the current season. The adventure consists of just a single encounter and should take no more than an hour to complete, so organizers will likely have many opportunities to run it, even over the course of a single game day.

You can find the Chronicle sheet for this quest on its product page or download it below. We'll eventually release this as a standalone product like we did with "Ambush in Absalom," but for the foreseeable future, Kobold Quarterly #23 is the place to get this exciting new adventure. I can't wait to hear what people think!

Building Your Pathfinder Society Community

Oct 22, 2012, 10:30 AM

Building Your Pathfinder Society Community Monday, October 22, 2012 ... Illustration by Guz BorodaWhen I started playing Pathfinder Society more than 3 years ago, I realized the more I gave to it, the more I got from it and the more valuable it became to me. While it may not be a universal truth, I believe that when you work for something, you value it more than if it was just given to you. Also, I find that when you give back to your community, it too becomes stronger and more valuable. ......

Building Your Pathfinder Society Community

Monday, October 22, 2012

Illustration by Guz Boroda

When I started playing Pathfinder Society more than 3 years ago, I realized the more I gave to it, the more I got from it and the more valuable it became to me. While it may not be a universal truth, I believe that when you work for something, you value it more than if it was just given to you. Also, I find that when you give back to your community, it too becomes stronger and more valuable.

Pathfinder Society Organized Play is a social, roleplaying game where people come together in public to enjoy our favorite pastime. Pathfinder Society is built upon this community. Even if you only play with friends at home, this group is your local gaming community.

In Georgia, I realized very quickly I couldn’t run Pathfinder Society on my own, especially if I wanted the community to grow it and make it better. With a large area spread out across the Atlanta metro area, I simply couldn’t make it to all the stores, meet all the players and store owners, recruit the GMs needed, and grow Pathfinder Society to the numbers I’d set as goals. This led me to being able to find a core group of store liaisons (today we call them Venture-Lieutenants) to help the community grow Pathfinder Society. Without the tireless efforts of Kyle and Nani Pratt, Joseph Caubo, Nicholas Gray, and John Compton, the community in Georgia wouldn’t be as strong as it is today. The first thing we did was work to get a website in place so that all interested gamers had a place to gather and plan future game days, chat about Pathfinder Society in general, and brag about their accomplishments. In hindsight, this was the foundation of building a strong community.

I was going to expand on how my Venture-Lieutenants’ contributions helped and were the foundation of one of the strongest player bases in the world, but that would take many more words. Instead, I am going to invite them to come here and share those experiences. They will do a much better job explaining their parts than I ever could. I will instead leave it at a simple thank you. Without all of their tireless efforts, we wouldn’t have a community in Georgia; we would just have many splintered groups of gamers.

"The Pathfinder Society Organized Play Campaign is a global gaming community that exists because of the efforts of volunteers just like you. In joining the Pathfinder Society Community, your contributions—whether GMing, aiding in organizing events, helping new players, or just sharing your enthusiasm—are an essential part of Pathfinder Society membership. You are strongly encouraged to add your efforts to make this campaign better. It cannot exist without you and together we can do great things."

Our gaming communities would not continue to exist without your contributions, which is why we are adding this to the Guide—to highlight how vitally important it is that everyone gives back to his or her local Pathfinder Society gaming community. Let me add, we at Paizo do not have any expectations about how you give back; we only request that you do so. Your local Pathfinder Society community might already have some ideas about what being a member entails.

Many of the challenges that Pathfinder Society communities face, such as a lack of GMs, can only be solved by the community members, and the successes that happen are a result of many people working together toward a common goal. You matter. Your ideas matter. Your contributions matter. Together we make things happen.

Let’s look at common ways to contribute to your Pathfinder Society community. This is in no way an exhaustive list. It is simply a list of common ways to give back:

Offer to GM. This one is first on the list because it is obviously the easiest and most important. There is a reason why we stress GMing so much. It’s a great way to give back to the community and become a better player while you do it. We have established GM 101 training sessions to encourage quality GMing and we hope that all of you will try spending some time behind the screen.

Organize gamedays and local conventions. Anyone can organize a gameday or small convention, not just Venture Captains and Lieutenants. All you need is to arrange the gaming space, secure the GMs, promote the event to get players, and then report it. It’s easy and provides a valuable service. You can become a local coordinator by coordinating a regular event, such as at a game store or even at home. Setting up new spaces on a regular basis provides new locations for players to play, and for new potential players to experience the community that Pathfinder Society offers and creates.

Help find and prepare new players for Pathfinder Society Organized Play. New players are the lifeblood of the Society. This very important as we will always have some attrition in the ranks. Spreading your enthusiasm by finding and teaching new Pathfinders what it means to be in the Society and helping promote your local events are of vital importance. If all you do is introduce one new player a month to the Society and your local playgroup, your Pathfinder Society community will grow stronger, and perhaps even become one of the most vibrant in the world.

You might be surprised who could be interested in Pathfinder Society. It’s the perfect vehicle for people who have busy working and home lives, and who can’t commit to a regular schedule, to still get their gaming fix. Talk openly and honestly about Pathfinder Society to people you come across, even if you don’t think they fit the typical bill of a gamer.

Other ways to contribute. The Pathfinder Society runs best when the environment is friendly and warm and people are recognized for their time and efforts. If you’re the person who is always bringing pizza and sodas to thank GMs, taking the time to help the local coordinator design flyers, offering to do the reporting after the events, or printing materials for your local group, you are doing your part. There are many ways to contribute.

I believe that our Society will be stronger as more and more of us give back to the Society. I have seen it happen in Georgia... the more voices we had, the better we were together.

This is important to me and our Society... and that’s why we are adding it to the Guide.

On a final note, tell us how you contribute, or plan to contribute, in your area’s lodge during Season 4. The more ideas we have to show people, the better off Pathfinder Society will be as a whole.

If this blog receives enough positive feedback, I think it could lead to a series of monthly blogs, each one getting into the details of the bullet points above or other similar topics. Let me know what you think and I look forward to reading your suggestions on building a better Pathfinder Society community.

I want to thank Eric Brittain (Venture Captain of San Diego), Nani Pratt (Co-Venture Captain of Atlanta), Joshua Archer (Venture Lieutenant of San Francisco), Jeff Kokx (aka Drogon), and Kyle Baird (as himself). Their feedback and help with this blog allowed me to get the above thoughts and message out and were invaluable in this week’s Pathfinder Society blog post.

Plots and Perils of the Pathfinder Society

Oct 15, 2012, 10:00 AM

Plots and Perils of the Pathfinder Society Monday, October 15, 2012 We launched the Year of the Risen Rune at Gen Con in August and are moving quickly into the heart of the season's metaplots with the release of two new scenarios this month. In past seasons, we've moved from completely unlinked scenarios to short three- or four-part story arcs within a larger array of generally unlinked scenarios and then further into seasonal meta-arcs covering an entire year's worth of scenarios. During...

Plots and Perils of the Pathfinder Society

Monday, October 15, 2012

We launched the Year of the Risen Rune at Gen Con in August and are moving quickly into the heart of the season's metaplots with the release of two new scenarios this month. In past seasons, we've moved from completely unlinked scenarios to short three- or four-part story arcs within a larger array of generally unlinked scenarios and then further into seasonal meta-arcs covering an entire year's worth of scenarios. During Seasons 2 and 3, the Year of the Shadow Lodge and Year of the Ruby Phoenix, respectively, we still released several multipart stories within the larger arcs, each with its own series title. We're not doing that this year, though, not because we think there's necessarily a problem with multipart scenarios, but rather because we wanted to try something else out.

Multipart scenarios have always been big hits for players, who like the continuity between adventures, as well as for event organizers who can schedule a whole arc for a gameday or convention to give a bit more cohesion to their event. But for everyone who has given positive feedback about multipart scenarios there's been another Pathfinder Society member who's expressed frustration with needing to play them in order, leveling out of a series' tier, or release of scenarios being delayed by a month (or more, in some cases).

In response to this, we've set the multipart arc format to the side this season and are trying something new—a high-level and a low-level metaplot tied directly to the season's larger metaplot. These adventures will build upon one another in a way more like a traditional campaign but in a way that they can be played out of order or by different PCs without their internal continuity suffering. But for someone playing them in order and with the same character, a clear through-line and progression from the arc's start to finish will become apparent. In both cases, the adventure that kicks off the metaplot will be releasing this month!

Pathfinders of 1st to 7th levels are going to be doing a lot of scenarios dealing with the Aspis Consortium and firmly establishing the Pathfinder Society as a prominent Varisian organization despite the Consortium's longer presence in the region. This metaplot begins with Pathfinder Society Scenario #4-07: Severing Ties, and will conclude in June in a Tier 3-7 scenario we're tentatively calling Rivalry's End. This metaplot is set to bring at least two villains back from previous seasons, though who they are and what roles they're set to play I'm not yet ready to reveal.

Players with characters in the highest tier of regular Pathfinder Society play will note that every Tier 7-11 scenario released from this month to the end of the season has direct ties to the cult of Lissala, an ancient Thassilonian faith thought lost to time. Over the course of the season, the Pathfinder Society's highest-level field operatives will be sent to investigate the cult, uncover what they're up to, and ultimately face the greatest threat to ever appear in a Pathfinder Society Scenario. We're planting seeds of the final showdown in some of our earliest scenarios of the year, and players who earn special unique rewards will have the chance to use them to make an otherwise epic encounter in July's Tier 7-11 season finale (currently titled The Waking Rune) perhaps a bit more survivable.

What about those PCs who like to adventure in the middle, like Tier 5-9? Well, that's sort of our catchall this season while we put more thematic scenarios into Tiers 1-5, 3-7, and 7-11 and their respective metaplots. Mid-level Pathfinders will get to follow up on a low-level party's discoveries by venturing into a Hellknight citadel, will have the chance to alter the very nature of the Hao Jin Tapestry, and in May, June, and July, take the Pathfinder Society from Varisia into a neighboring nation and from there into Season 5 with an epic discovery!

Pathfinder Society Survival 101

Oct 8, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society Survival 101 Monday, October 8, 2012 One of the concerns I have heard pop up lately, both on the messageboards and at shows, is that Pathfinder Society scenarios have become more deadly. I've heard horror stories about TPKs on the rise in various regions of the world. Let's see if we can help combat some of that and help the new player, or the low-level character of a veteran, with some options that may just prove useful. ... One of the benefits of being a Venture-Captain...

Pathfinder Society Survival 101

Monday, October 8, 2012

One of the concerns I have heard pop up lately, both on the messageboards and at shows, is that Pathfinder Society scenarios have become more deadly. I've heard horror stories about TPKs on the rise in various regions of the world. Let's see if we can help combat some of that and help the new player, or the low-level character of a veteran, with some options that may just prove useful.

One of the benefits of being a Venture-Captain before this job was that I met a wide variety of players throughout the southeast. Each and every one has their strong points and weaknesses. One of the strongest rules players I know from my time in Georgia was Jordan James. He survived quite a few tables I GMed, and most of the time, it was because of brilliant use of a piece of equipment I had never heard of or had seen used once at most. He has been discussing equipment that makes survival easier, specifically when it comes to lower-level characters, with the Georgia crowd for the last year through their Pathfinder Society lodge messageboards.

After speaking with Jordan this past week, he proved excited to share his thoughts on a few overlooked items that might just make the difference between your low-level character surviving or going to meet Pharsma earlier than anticipated.

Jordan advised, "Here we have a simple list of items I have found to be ridiculously useful, and sometimes critical, to have around for those situations that, if you aren't prepared, may very well turn into a TPK."

"Please do reply with items I've missed (there will be many) because the sole intention here is to provide a helpful thread for fellow adventurers, and to have a little fun in writing it," he noted.

So, what are some things that are just wonderful to have available in a pinch, and more often than not, are generally not well known?

Elixir of Spirit Sight (1,000 gp): From Pathfinder Adventure Path #38: City of Seven Spears, 1,000 gp for 1 minute of see invisibility and ghost touch for both your weapons and armor! Incorporeal entities got you down with strength drains and random irritating things that ignore your armor and halves your damage? Go to town on them with this wonderful concoction.

Bladeguard (40 gp): Straight out of the Advanced Player's Guide and into your martially inclined character's inventory. This clear resin protects a weapon from harmful attacks from oozes, rust monsters, and similar effects that corrode or melt weapons, rendering the weapon immune for 24 hours. One pot can coat one two-handed weapon, two one-handed or light weapons, or 50 ammunition items. Applying it takes 1 full round. Immersing the weapon in water or similar liquid washes it off. That's pretty useful for its cost.

Potion of Feather Step (50 gp): More Advanced Player's Guide spell goodness, and bottled for your convenience. For 10 minutes, you can ignore difficult terrain, and even take 5-foot steps in such an area, oh HADES YES! Seriously, have you got one of those wizards in your party? You know the type: crazy guy throwing around stone call, sleet storm, and other such "control" spells thinking he's awesome, when all he's really doing is making it impossible for you to move? This bottle is your answer (you can even throw the empty remains at the wizard afterward as a free action!). Smart wizards of the above type also keep a couple of these on hand.

Potion of Invigorate (50 gp): Going into battle with a creature that can sap your endurance, leaving you fatigued or exhausted, this potion will banish that pathetic mortal weakness and allow you to ignore the associated penalties for 10 WHOLE MINUTES. Of course, when it runs out, you get not only the penalties, but also an extra d6 points of nonlethal damage for your arrogance in ignoring your natural limits—but hey, performance enhancements are just an easy way of separating winners from losers! Honestly, though, ignoring those penalties for 10 minutes, that's freaking awesome for 50 gp.

Potion of Delay Poison (300 gp): 300 gp might sound like a lot, but for that handful of gold, you get to tell any and all poisons coursing through your veins for the next HOUR to sit down, shut up, and wait for you to finish beating the stuffing out of the poor fool that thought poisoning you would be its ticket to victory. This is like antitoxin, but sexy.

Smoked Goggles (10 gp): So, medusa, basilisks, and other gaze-type critters suck. You can avert your eyes (50% chance to avoid the gaze, 20% miss chance that round), or close them (immune to the gaze, but then everything gains total concealment from you, which kind of sucks). The answer: These cheap-as-dirt goggles grant you a +8 circumstance bonus on your saving throws vs. gaze, and all you suffer is a 20% miss chance (and a -4 on Perception checks—I know, a real deal breaker there if you're using these for combat). More Advanced Player's Guide goodness.

Smelling Salts (25 gp): Speaking of Advanced Player's Guide goodness, one last entry is the useful smelling salts. These sharply scented gray crystals cause people inhaling them to regain consciousness. Smelling salts grant you a new saving throw to resist any spell or effect that has already rendered you unconscious or staggered. If exposed to smelling salts while dying, you immediately become conscious and staggered, but must still make stabilization checks each round; if you perform any standard action (or any other strenuous action), you take 1 point of damage after completing the act and fall unconscious again. A container of smelling salts has dozens of uses if stoppered after each use, but depletes in a matter of hours if left opened. That's just nifty.

Bracers of Archery, Lesser (5,000 gp): A wrist slot that offers +1 to hit with a bow you're already proficient with is okay, but the hidden gem is that it works like the greater variety in terms of providing you proficiency with ANY bow (excluding crossbows). For characters without any bow proficiency or chaffing under a short bow only restriction, save the feat, drop 5,000 gp, and be happy!

Elixirs (250 gp): These are pretty well known, but just in case, for a paltry 250 gp you can pack potions for a +10 competence bonus on Acrobatics Perception, Stealth, and Swim checks. Handy, but keep in mind the swimming one is sort of overshadowed by the touch of sea potion below.

Golembane Scarab (2,500 gp): It's a neck slot that detects golems within 60 feet and ignores their DR with weapon, unarmed, or natural attacks. This can be a nice little package of helpfulness here!

Pathfinder's Pouch (1,000 gp): This little gem from Seekers of Secrets functions as a small bag of holding, allowing one to store up to 10 pounds of items within its 2-cubic-feet limit. Why is it special? Because detect magic ain't got nothing on this pro—thus, a Pathfinder can keep important or dangerous items safe in its confines with little worry from guards, customs, and random searches. Even if the pouch is opened and turned upside down with a shake, as long as the proper command word remains unspoken, nothing in the extradimensional space will fall out.

Potion of Bestow Grace (400 gp): For good characters only, but this can be a sweet bonus if you happen to have the rare positive Charisma modifier (and aren't already a paladin). For 4 minutes, you get a sacred bonus on all of your saving throws equal to your Charisma score bonus. That's almost good enough to make me consider being good, almost...

Oil of Weapon of Awe (300 gp): For 3 minutes, your weapon not only gains a +2 sacred bonus on damage rolls, but if you score a critical hit, it causes the creature hit to become shaken for 1 round with no save. It can't be used on natural weapons (though it can on unarmed strikes), but the gravy is that when used on ranged weapons, it applies to missiles fired. Loving some of these Advanced Player's Guide spells.

Potion of Touch of Sea (50 gp): For a measly 50 gp, you get a 30-foot swim speed, +8 competence bonus on Swim checks, the ability to take 10 on Swim checks even when distracted or endangered, and even use the run action while swimming. While this is more than enough to leave the poor elixir of swimming curled up in a corner, the one caveat is that it doesn't enable you to breath underwater, but for 1 minute of duration, you are bloody well near a seal.

Air Crystals (50 gp): An inexpensive personal bottle of air. Find yourself underwater, in a void, or otherwise bereft of air? Pop some of these beauties in your mouth and you've got 1 minute of breathing space to plan your escape (note that you can't talk while chewing on these crystals).

Comfort (armor special ability) (5,000 gp): Whoa. Okay, for 5,000 gp (doesn't even take up a slot of enhancement bonus on your armor) you get armor that is always clean, doesn't penalize you in hot weather, counts as cold-weather clothing in cold weather, reduces armor check penalties by 1 (minimum 0), AND regardless of what kind of armor it is, it can be slept in as if it were light armor! Note that only applies to being slept in, but my goodness, for anyone concerned about getting caught without their armor in the night, this is a sweet solution!

Dweomer's Essence (500 gp): Casters take note! For 500 gp this one-off pinch of powder may seem insane, until you notice that you can add it as an extra material component to any spell you are casting and receive a +5 bonus to your caster level to overcome spell resistance. It's like an on-demand rod of piercing spell, except it's available whenever you need it, stacks with the Piercing Spell feat if you really need that spell to land, and doesn't cost you an action to get out a rod or an additional level to apply the metamagic. This is the sort of awesome that I'd pay more than 500 gp for, so enjoy and keep some in the component pouch!

Fortunate Charm (3,000 gp): Anything that can help alleviate the terrible pain of lame dice is wonderful, and this neck slot beauty does just that once per day on a failed skill or concentration check. Since failing checks like that can often result in extremely severe consequences, 3,000 gp for that kind of love is just sweet.

Runestone of Power (2,000 gp): Wow, that's a lot of gold! Ever looked longingly at wizards and their fancy pearls of power letting them get free spells? Well, as long as you're a bard, inquisitor, oracle, sorcerer, or summoner you are in luck! For the cost of double an equivalent pearl of power, once per day (per runestone, of course) a spell you cast of its level uses the runestone's power and not one of your limited spells per day.

Potion of Stalwart Resolve (300 gp): New cleric spells to the rescue! For 3 rounds per pop, this little gem lets you ignore ability damage and penalties to any one ability score of your choice (unless it equals your total ability score, in which case you're still screwed). It has a short duration and doesn't protect you from ability drain, but when you really need to shake off some bad ability damage and get back into the fight, this is what you need.

Weapon Cord (1 sp): Cheap as dirt and twice as useful! If you are disarmed or drop your weapon, it never moves farther away from you than an adjacent square and you can recover it as a swift action. The caveat is you cannot wield another weapon with the same hand the cord is tied to, and removing the cord is either a full-round action (untying) or move action (cutting). Great for archers who never want to be separated from their bows.

Spring-Loaded Wrist Sheath (5 gp): Retrieve any dagger, dart, wand, or equivalent-sized object (forearm length or so) as a swift action. Let me provide a simple example of why this is awesome. Your friend is 20 feet away and dying. You move to her, get out your wand, are out of actions, and she dies at your feet. With this wrist sheath, you move to her, produce your wand of cure light wounds with a swift flourish, and save her life.

Antiplague (50 gp): Getting diseased can be really bad. Use this if you know you're moving into an area where such might be likely. For an hour, you receive a +5 alchemical bonus on Fort saves against disease. Even better, if you're already diseased, this will let you make two saves (no +5 bonus though) and use the better result. Good thing to have.

Vermin Repellent (5 gp): Not a perfect defense, but it keeps individual vermin away and swarms of vermin must make a DC 15 Fortitude save to enter your square. Not bad for a 4-hour buff.

Allnight (75 gp): Recommending "herbs" and "black market items"—I love this guide! Allnight eliminates the effects of fatigue for 8 hours, during which time you take a –2 penalty on all skill checks, and when the duration runs out, you're exhausted. The good news: Combine a couple doses with a couple potions of lesser restoration and you are the Energizer Bunny.

And a few other generally useful items to have around:

Potion of Blur (300 gp): Sure, the miss chance may only be 20%, but there are a couple nice bonuses during its 3-minute duration. First, since you gain concealment, most precision-based damage, such as from sneak attacks, won't work on you unless the user has some pretty special feats. Second, if you like to be stealthy, then here is your bottle of "hide in plain sight," since this grants you that necessary concealment you need to hide.

Oil of Align Weapon (300 gp): Your go-to spell when you need a weapon to bypass DR of the evil/good/lawful/chaotic types. Three minutes per use, so it should last long enough to even apply before combat if you know what's around the corner.

Potion of Remove Sickness (50 gp): For 10 minutes, you gain a +4 morale bonus on saves vs. disease and the sickened and nauseated conditions, or suppress effects already being experienced for the duration of the spell. While being sickened is annoying, some diseases, and especially being nauseated, really can make you useless, so this is a lifesaver. Pro tip: When you're nauseated, you can't take standard actions, so either pour this down a nauseated ally's throat on your turn, or hold it out and have one of your comrades do the same for you.

Potion of Negate Aroma (50 gp): For the sneaky types that are sick and tired of being given away by scent, one hit off this potion and you've got 1 hour of scentless scouting as long as you don't get doused in a new, smelly substance.

I know there are more, especially out of Ultimate Equipment, but those are a few I really wanted to throw out! Post other great options and we all might just survive an extra encounter or two!

Pathfinder Society in France

Sep 24, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society in France Monday, September 24, 2012 ... Illustration by Eric BelisleUsually, I try to spread out international Pathfinder Society blogs to every 3–4 weeks. However, with one sitting in my inbox, I didn’t want to just hold onto it for a month. I had the pleasure of meeting Venture-Captain Karim Majeri at PaizoCon UK in July. Not only did I meet him, but I was able to GM a game for him and several other international Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants. I will just say...

Pathfinder Society in France

Monday, September 24, 2012

Illustration by Eric Belisle

Usually, I try to spread out international Pathfinder Society blogs to every 3–4 weeks. However, with one sitting in my inbox, I didn’t want to just hold onto it for a month. I had the pleasure of meeting Venture-Captain Karim Majeri at PaizoCon UK in July. Not only did I meet him, but I was able to GM a game for him and several other international Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants. I will just say that it was a very entertaining session of #3–25: Storming the Diamond Gate. The Pathfinder Society organization in France is lucky in that they are one of the three international regions that have Pathfinder RPG books translated into their native language. This allows us to provide convention prize support with French Pathfinder books. Karim was also kind enough to bring me several French Pathfinder books, and the French Core Rulebook sits in my collection as one of my favorite pieces.

Karim also is supported by Venture-Lieutenant Benoit Gros in Geneva, Switzerland. I also met Benoit at PaizoCon UK, and between them, I suspect we will see significant growth in France in the coming year.

Without further ado, I present to you Karim’s report on Pathfinder France.

I’m Karim Majeri, the Venture-Captain for France and surrounding French-speaking countries. I started to play Pathfinder RPG with the Beta version, while at the same time running a Rise of the Runelord Adventure Path campaign. Besides serving as a Venture-Captain for Pathfinder Society Organized Play, I am also president of the Ligue Ludique, an association that promotes RPGs, in particular D&D and Pathfinder. The organization is based in Paris. We are currently coordinating more than 150 events per year, including large conventions that include Comic Con Paris, Monde du Jeu, Paris est Ludique, MayCon, and LudikXPerience (our own convention).

The first Pathfinder Society event hosted in France was several years ago. Past Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator Joshua Frost attended an event in Lyon in the summer of 2010. Since that game day, we have hosted numerous full Saturdays with many players in Lyon and in Paris.

Here in France, we have a strong community of fans and you can find out much information from different sources. Of course, we have the Ligue Ludique website mentioned above, but we also have Pathfinder-FR (with a wiki, a forum and a lot of other information); PSOP, a website that collects your sessions and characters’ info; and finally the Black-Book Editions website, which is the French editor for Pathfinder RPG books.

The largest events in France and French-speaking countries to play Pathfinder Society are Comic Con in Paris the first week of July, Octogones in October in Lyon, Festival en Jeu in Belgium, and Imaginaire at the end of November in Paris. There are also other conventions and you can stay updated on future dates and information at the French PFS website or on the Paizo event page here at paizo.com.

The next step for growing Pathfinder Society in France is to find some Venture-Lieutenants throughout different regions in France. My hope is they will help promote the game and find new GMs for Pathfinder Society. I have found quite a few players and GMs that are very motivated, including my new Venture-Lieutenant, Benoit Gros, in Switzerland. I’m currently recruiting for Venture-Lieutenants in or around Lyon, Rennes, Lille, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Strasbourg. If you live in or around any of those regions, please contact me at webmaster@ligueludique.fr.

Last, but not the least, after Paizo Con UK (organized by UK Venture-Captain Dave Harrison and Venture-Lieutenant Rob Silk), I have been highly motivated to organize a PaizoCon France in Paris. The idea is to gather and welcome all the players in Europe together in Paris. That’s my new project and I am working with BBE to plan it for the end of August or beginning of September 2013. Thanks again to Dave and Rob for the great time had at PaizoCon UK and the inspiration for a PaizoCon France.

Thank you to Karim and Benoit for kickstarting an awesome Pathfinder Society organization in France. I look forward to the additions of new Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants in other regions of France and watching Pathfinder Society spread like wildfire. Keep up the awesome work!

More Venture-Captains Added to the Ranks

Sep 17, 2012, 10:00 AM

More Venture-Captains Added to the Ranks Monday, September 17, 2012 As we continue to expand Pathfinder Society to areas where players are looking for organization, it is important to me to find the right people to serve as ambassadors of the game, to present a positive light for new players, and try to bring veteran players who have left back into the fold. Ten more Venture-Captains have been chosen to fill those roles. ... Illustration by Dmitry ProsvirninFirst, I want to thank JP Chapleau...

More Venture-Captains Added to the Ranks

Monday, September 17, 2012

As we continue to expand Pathfinder Society to areas where players are looking for organization, it is important to me to find the right people to serve as ambassadors of the game, to present a positive light for new players, and try to bring veteran players who have left back into the fold. Ten more Venture-Captains have been chosen to fill those roles.

Illustration by Dmitry Prosvirnin

First, I want to thank JP Chapleau for his tremendous efforts in building the Denver area Pathfinder Society. Not only was he the caretaker of Denver, but he oversaw Pathfinder Society in all of Colorado and expanded into parts of New Mexico and Idaho. He has taken a position as Creative Director for Neo Exodus and will be building the organized play program for that game. I wish him the best and look forward to watching the growth of Neo Exodus organized play. Taking over in Colorado is Venture-Captain Jacque Woods. She comes into the position extremely motivated to continue the awesome job that JP did where he left off. She mentioned she was looking to centralize all Pathfinder Society activity into a website to help foster a greater sense of community and I look forward to seeing it blossom. She also mentioned to me she is willing to travel to help support Pathfinder Society in and around the region, including southern Wyoming and northern New Mexico, east into Kansas and west into Utah.

I also want to thank Doug Daulton for all he did for Pathfinder Society in Las Vegas. I met Doug at Neon Con last year and he ran a good watch. Due to his hectic and very busy work schedule, he has taken a step back. One of Doug's Venture-Lieutenants, Chris Clay, has stepped up and taken on the mantle of Venture-Captain. He mentioned several challenges and goals for the next 6 to 12 months and I look forward to seeing how Las Vegas reignites its interest in Pathfinder Society under Chris's watch.

In July, I had the pleasure to meet Diego Winterborg when I traveled to PaizoCon UK and Viking Lodge Summer Games. Diego was one of the 13 original Venture-Captains chosen on October 4, 2010 and I had the honor of working side-by-side with him for a year as a fellow Venture-Captain, and the last 8 months as Campaign Coordinator. Diego did a fantastic job introducing Denmark to Pathfinder Society and growing it. Unfortunately, he had to step aside as Venture-Captain at the beginning of August due to hectic a life schedule and he will be sorely missed. Stepping up to fill his shoes is Erik Ingersen. He will center his initial activities out of Ringsted, while he works with current Venture-Lieutenant Jacob Trier in Jutland to start growing Pathfinder Society again. He mentioned he would also be looking for Venture-Lieutenants in Copenhagen, Holbaek, and Roskilde. If you have an interest in helping grow Pathfinder Society in Denmark, please send Erik an email. I'm sure he would greatly appreciate it.

Eddy and Stephanie Roberts started Pathfinder Society coordination in Salt Lake City, Utah, but have since had to step down for a hectic work and life schedule. Taking over the reins for Pathfinder Society coordination and growth is Phillip Willis. He had some very exciting and interesting ideas to restart Pathfinder Society in Utah and I look forward to watching as Pathfinder Society grows by leaps and bounds. He advised me he considers his region the entire state of Utah and possibly northeastern Nevada, so if you live in those regions, make sure to reach out to Phillip with any questions, advice, or help you can offer.

My first week on the job last year, Doug Miles informed me he was having to step down due to a new family and hectic work schedule. Not only was Doug one of the original 13 Venture-Captains selected, but he was Pathfinder Society's first five-star GM. When he stepped down, it was a huge blow to the Detroit area. Daniel Luckett and Eric Clingenpeel have done their best to help fill the void while I have searched for someone to step into Doug's shows. After almost a year without a Venture-Captain, Detroit is finally getting their second one! Mason Whitlark is excited to fuel the fire once again in Detroit and hopes to expand his area from Fenton to Ann Arbor, and down to Toledo, Ohio. With Mason in place, joined by Daniel and Eric, the entirety of Michigan should pretty much be covered.

Chris Jarvis did a phenomenal job in Seattle over the course of 9 months. He took over the Seattle Venture-Captain position the same week I started at Paizo. Under his watch, a website was created to bring the community together. Multiple weekly game days were established in more than eight cities across Washington. And he coordinated and oversaw the smooth operation of Pathfinder Society at more than seven local conventions. He also went above and beyond his duties and was a tremendous aid to me with the coordination of PaizoCon in July. His shoes will be tough ones to fill. His Venture-Lieutenant, Kyle Elliott, has stepped up to the challenge and has hit the ground running, coordinating Pathfinder games and demos at Pax Prime. The Washington Pathfinder Society player base is in very good hands with Kyle at the helm.

I am also excited to add four new areas to our Venture-Captain regions. The first is Memphis, Tennessee. Phillip Goettsch already has some plans on how to kick-start coordinated Pathfinder Society play in the western Tennessee region. He also advised during his interview process that not only was he going to facilitate the establishment of coordinated Pathfinder Society play in the greater Memphis area, but he was going to try to reach as far north as Dyersburg, TN, northern areas of Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas to include Little Rock, until a Venture-Captain or Venture-Lieutenants could be found to coordinate Pathfinder Society in those regions. Please contact him if you are able to assist him in western Tennessee.

The second new region is Jacksonville, Florida. James Apostolou comes highly recommended by several local Venture-Captains and Lieutenants, as well as local players and GMs. Jacksonville is an area ripe for tremendous growth, and with the fairly recent addition of the Pathfinder Society of Florida website and the three current forums for Jacksonville game locations alone, it looks like James has plenty to work with to grow and expand Pathfinder Society in northeast Florida.

I met Matt Clay at Gen Con, as he was one of my GMs. He did an outstanding job at Gen Con as a Tier 1 GM and I look forward to seeing what he has in store for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Western PA has just been waiting for someone to step up and take charge and Matt is the man for the job. Not only will Matt oversee Pathfinder Society in the Pittsburgh area, but if there is interest he will also cover Washington, PA; Wheeling, WV; and possibly Somerset, PA. I am very interested to see the growth of Pathfinder Society play and look forward to working with Matt again.

Finally, Michael Seales will be taken over all of Alabama, operating out of Birmingham. He is currently coordinating and organizing Pathfinder Society on Wednesday and Friday nights at three different Birmingham stores and looks to expand further. He is also planning to attend and coordinate Pathfinder Society for Birmingham Game Days in March, Alabama Phoenix Festival II in May, and Play On Con VI in July of 2013. Additionally, he is looking at the possibility of attending Kami-Con, MOBICON, and Con*stellation as well. It looks like Alabama could be the next hotbed of activity for Pathfinder Society growth.

Pathfinder Society in Turkey

Sep 10, 2012, 12:35 PM

Pathfinder Society in Turkey Monday, September 10, 2012 ... Illustration by Eva WidermannI had a great time at Dragon*Con two weekends ago and then spent several days in Birmingham working some things out with Books-A-Million. It’s going to be an exciting time for Pathfinder Society in 2013. One topic that came up in both Atlanta and Birmingham was international play of Pathfinder Society. It seems many people are genuinely interested in reading about Pathfinder Society Organized Play all...

Pathfinder Society in Turkey

Monday, September 10, 2012

Illustration by Eva Widermann

I had a great time at Dragon*Con two weekends ago and then spent several days in Birmingham working some things out with Books-A-Million. It’s going to be an exciting time for Pathfinder Society in 2013. One topic that came up in both Atlanta and Birmingham was international play of Pathfinder Society. It seems many people are genuinely interested in reading about Pathfinder Society Organized Play all over the world. So, we are going to publish another international Pathfinder Society blog post this week.

This time, we go to one of the oldest regions in the world, but one of our newest regions for Pathfinder Society. I always had Turkey, specifically Istanbul, as one of my geographic goals to get Pathfinder Society up and running. Istanbul has five million more people than New York City, an internationally renowned university, and a lot of young people hungry for RPGs in general, and campaign play specifically. So, watching the growth that Venture-Captain Can Sungur and his Venture-Lieutenants have helped facilitate is just awesome. They have grown from a new lodge 4 months ago, to one of the top five Pathfinder Society lodges in the world! Without further ado, I present to you Can Sungur’s report on Pathfinder Turkey.

This is Can Sungur, the Venture-Captain for Turkiye. I am a digital marketing consultant with past experiences in social media marketing and your classic, analog ad business, taking the title of strategist in all of these positions. I have been playing world’s oldest roleplaying game since 1999, when I played Baldur’s Gate 2 on my computer for the first time, and I have been a passionate d20 player and GM ever since.

I found out about Pathfinder and what Paizo was trying to create back in 2009, when Selçuk Gözübüyük, who was one of the eldest members of the Turkish roleplaying community, and who unfortunately passed away in 2011, introduced me to the Alpha version of Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. Since then, I have been advocating Pathfinder by my personal effort and that effort was fading away with the constant pressure of my professional life. That changed 4 months ago, since the day we got the “go!” from Mike Brock, our coordinator.

Pathfinder Society in Turkiye is in its fourth month as of this blog post’s date. Let me tell you about the community in Turkiye and what’s been going on!

Pathfinder Society in Turkiye started in Istanbul. Spread on two continents and with a population count of 13 million, Istanbul is the cultural capital of Turkiye and the best place to start our Society operations. Of course, I haven’t been alone in this. I would like to thank my two partners in crime, the Venture-Lieutenants for Istanbul, Yücel Okçu and Mustafa Yılmaz. Also, a thank you goes to our team of voluntary Society agents: Mert Erten, Necati Burak Gücer, Caner Ünsal, Boğaçhan Aydın and Muvaffak Kıral. We got everything rolling together and I want to thank each of my friends for sharing my passion about Golarion.

The roleplaying community in Turkiye is quite small considering European countries and USA, but in the late years, Turkiye has been in the spotlight of many online gaming companies, especially free-to-play games, due to its great youth population. As a head start, we decided we would be targeting young players to our Society games.

Before we started gaming, we went into a month of preparations, planning on how to announce our program, designing launch posters and flyers, and opening communications with different universities. We launched Pathfinder Society games in the end of June in KONTAKT, a sub-culture convention.

Since June 30th, we have been through three organized play days, with the number of simultaneous sessions increasing steadily. Currently, we hold two biweekly organized play events each month. İstanbul Technical University is now hosting us in our organizations. So far, we have reached 74 players. And why are 74 players important? Well, probably most of our readers are in their thirties or more, with a more or less established roleplaying community in their local areas. Even being a metropolis, Istanbul and Turkiye is far from that. As we guessed before we started, most of our community is between 18–22 years, and most of our players have played their first roleplaying game with us! Imagine that! And in September, we have started monthly Pathfinder and Golarion Workshops to get our young GMs and players going. So many questions about all the lore and the systems and everything!

Here is a group photo from our third organized play event at ITU.

Also, the current community in Istanbul is very, very active! We have a couple of very talented people in our community. Here is a little goblin figure made by my girlfriend for my birthday—our lovely goblins are as popular as everywhere in Istanbul!

In the following months, Pathfinder Society is planning to expand to Ankara, Eskişehir, and İzmir, all three being centers of attention for roleplaying gamers. This will be very exciting for me, as we will be seeing new Venture-Lieutenants creating a community in their own city. Also, we are planning to merge our organized play events with conventions hosted at different colleges and universities.

A year ago, I felt like I was alone with all my knowledge about Golarion and I had the chance to chat about the game only with a couple of gaming friends. Now, all around me, I see Pathfinders coming up with questions about the nature of positive and negative energy, the secrets of the Mwangi, questions about aboleths, and of course crazy character builds! Just seeing people around me talking about optimizations, quarreling about factions, and of course, discussing various rules makes me very happy!

Can Sungur (gyrfalcon)Venture-Captain, Turkiye

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of the Venture-Captains and Lieutenants, coordinators, players, and GMs for making Turkey an amazing area for Pathfinder Society with phenomal growth. Keep up the awesome work all!

Pathfinder Society Down Under

Aug 27, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society Down Under Monday, August 27, 2012 Now that Gen Con is over, and I only have to finish plans for Pax Prime and get ready for my trip to Dragon*Con in Atlanta next week, I am finally able to get back on track with our series of international Pathfinder Society blogs. This time, we go to some of the most remote Pathfinder Society play in the world down in Australia. I have a great fondness in my heart for Australians. I was able to have a drink with several of the Australian...

Pathfinder Society Down Under

Monday, August 27, 2012

Now that Gen Con is over, and I only have to finish plans for Pax Prime and get ready for my trip to Dragon*Con in Atlanta next week, I am finally able to get back on track with our series of international Pathfinder Society blogs. This time, we go to some of the most remote Pathfinder Society play in the world down in Australia. I have a great fondness in my heart for Australians. I was able to have a drink with several of the Australian Venture-Captains and Lieutenants when they came up for PaizoCon in July. Wes Nicholson always brings me Tim Tams when he and I are at the same convention, and at Gen Con last week, he brought me beer. And, I have met Matt Goodall (RPG Superstar) at both PaizoCon and Gen Con, and was able to share some war stories with him. So, I reached out to all three Venture-Captains in Australia and below is what they had to say about Pathfinder Society scene in there.

Before we get to those three reports, I wanted to announce that a fourth Venture-Captain has been added to Australia. Daniel Flood will be overseeing coordination of Pathfinder Society in Brisbane. Welcome aboard Daniel! I look forward to watching you facilitate growth of Pathfinder Society from the amazing level it currently is, to the awesome level I know it can reach.

First, we start on the west coast in Perth with Callum Prior.

My name is Callum (buzzby on the boards), I'm currently Venture-Captain for Western Australia. I'm a Community Development Officer for one of the largest local governments in the state. I previously spent about a decade as a self-employed music and tour manager and prior to that I worked as a butler to the Governor (Her Majesty's representative, not the American-style governor. Rule Britannia!).

Western Australia alone takes up a third of the country, coming in at 20 times larger than England and more than 3-1/2 times bigger than Texas, but our whole state only has a population of 1.7 million. We're spread pretty thin in terms of population centers. Our side of the country, in particular, suffers from what we like to call the "tyranny of distance."

The next closest Venture-Captain is a leisurely 3,438 km away in Melbourne. We have one gaming store in the metropolitan area and we don't have access to a dedicated RPG convention.

Back in the heady days of late 2011 I started email contact with Melbourne Venture-Captain Stephen White, who at the time had jurisdiction over the whole of Australia. With my home gaming group only able to meet up two or three times a year due to the perils of real life, I was keen to see if Pathfinder Society might be a reasonable alternative. Sadly we weren't able to locate any locally reported events and I went back to playing knifey-spoony and looking for ways to support Stephen over here.

However, several weeks later, Stephen sent me an email pointing to Mike's call out for volunteers in new regions. I submitted my application and here I am.

We don't have a strong history of organied play over here and with just the one gaming store, a lot of my work is building partnerships with other (not always gaming) groups and seeking opportunities outside of the normal gaming hot spots.

A great recent example of this is RFLAN, a local LAN event that runs four times a year and routinely sells out to a capacity 450 gamers. I've been working with them to have a presence at their events, the first of which we ran last month starting off with a modest single table. They've kindly offered us even more at the next event, enough for five tables, and it's something I hope to build into a quarterly Pathfinder convention.

We've also been able to attend a number of local pop culture conventions—WAICON (anime), Swancon (science fiction), and GenghisCon (speculative fiction and gaming)—all for the first time. Feedback from all of these have been very positive, and I'm quite excited at what we'll be able to bring to those events next year.

Most recently I was able to appoint Chris Chisolm as my Venture-Lieutenant. Chris will be caretaking our metro events while I make a start establishing groups in some of our regional areas.

So, starting from nothing scant months ago we now have 88 players registered on Warhorn, hit 100 subscribers to our email newsletter, run weekly events at a number of different venues, have attended all the major pop culture conventions bar one (we'll get you next year, Supanova!) and are starting to see our first starred GMs.

Callum PriorVenture-Captain, Western Australia

Now we move 3,438km (or 2,136 miles) to the east for Pathfinder Society in Melbourne.

I'm Stephen White, previously Venture-Captain, Australia—more recently demoted to Venture-Captain, Melbourne. Though that's all cool, because I realized going in that one person can't possibly oversee a region as vast as Australia, I'm very grateful for the work Al, Callum, and many others are doing in other cities throughout the country.

I'm a long-time gaymer, having purchased the 1981 Basic Box with birthday money as a teenager, and played every edition (minus one) of the game since, including GMing the original Adventure Path (Dragonlance) through two editions.

When I moved from Adelaide to Melbourne, I nervously attended my first gaming convention, and discovered a thriving community of players. I enjoyed Living Greyhawk and Living Arcanis and an occasional Eberron game (I'm the VC who loves non-core races!) for 5 years, meeting some great friends along the way. When those campaigns wound down due to edition changes, I was concerned for the future of our local gaming scene. Being a long-time collector of Dragon and Dungeon magazines, I followed Paizo's transition to Pathfinder with great interest, buying a copy of the Pathfinder RPG Beta for each of my homegroup players and GMing Runelords and Crimson Throne.

A strong perception I had growing up in Adelaide during the '80s was that all of the big RPG conventions, events, and promotions seemed to be focused on the USA or perhaps Europe. RPG products cost twice the cover price in Australia due to international shipping and the weak Aussie dollar. Being an island nation isolates us—travel to even our closest neighboring countries requires costly overseas flights.

Some of the barriers to participating as a single international RPG community have reduced in recent years, such as the growth of Internet communications, PDF downloads, a stronger Aussie dollar reducing the cost of imported books, and more competitive airline industry making flights more affordable. Aussies now participate more frequently and equally in many fields internationally, and nothing represents this more in our hobby than our very own Matthew Goodall winning RPG Superstar 2010, and more recently authoring Pathfinder Adventure Path #57: Tempest Rising (Skull & Shackles).

It is very much this sense of wanting Australians to participate in RPG events on equal terms that, when Paizo released Hollow's Last Hope, motivated me to download and run my first public Pathfinder gameday in Melbourne—Free RPG Day 2007. That was 5 years ago now, and I've GMed Pathfinder modules at Free RPG Day events every year since.

The other reason I became a Pathfinder GM was in appreciation of all those who ran tables of Living Greyhawk, Living Arcanis, or Eberron for me at Melbourne conventions. You may not have realised it at the time, but I learned a lot from you all, and your efforts inspired me to be where I am writing this blog post today. GMing Pathfinder is my way of giving back to the community that supported my enjoyment of the game for all those years, and I hope in return I may inspire others to do likewise.

So it was that I started GMing Pathfinder Society scenarios right from Season 0's beginning, starting with my home group, who then became my GM team at Melbourne's three annual games conventions, Arcanacon, Conquest, and Unicon. With the help of GMs across the country, we descended on Brisbane, bringing Pathfinder Society to Gen ConOz and then PaizoConOz for the last 3 years.

Since becoming Venture-Captain, I realized that GMing Pathfinder at four conventions per year wasn't enough—we also need to run public gamedays at our local game stores. The Geelong guys were a step ahead of me, already hosting Pathfinder every Thursday night. I discovered a new Good Games store had recently opened at Blackburn, so I thought that would be the perfect place to start my own local group. We've been running Pathfinder Society tables at Blackburn every Sunday for nearly 2 years now, and we're also starting to host games in the Melbourne CBD. Players can sign up to play Pathfinder Society in and around Melbourne on our Warhorn page, though Pathfinder Society events are also being scheduled in cities across Australia—check out Paizo's event calendar for upcoming gamedays.

And can I just say WOW, Sydney?! The Pathfinder Society growth experienced in Sydney has been phenomenal, and raises a community building challenge for us all to aspire toward, including my own Melbourne region.

Despite our country's size (roughly the size of continental USA), Australia has a population of only 22 million, compared to USA's 313 million. Australian cities are therefore quite isolated from one another—the "tyranny of distance." To put this into perspective, Melbourne and Sydney are a day's drive apart; Melbourne to Brisbane is 2-day's drive; and I'm told driving from Melbourne to Perth requires 3 full days driving across nothing but featureless desert, which no sane person would even attempt.

Nonetheless, a few of us do travel to each others conventions from time to time, and it's always great to meet players from other regions. We're currently aware of Pathfinder Society gamedays in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Geelong, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Rockhampton, Sydney, Tasmania, and Woolongong. If you're playing Pathfinder anywhere in Australia, we'd love to hear about it and keep in touch.

The single message I most want to leave you with is that anyone can advertise and host a local Pathfinder Society gameday—that's exactly how I and many others started. Everyone benefits from a growing community. Sharing and rotating GM duty encourages more play opportunities, and meeting local players can open homegame opportunities such as Adventure Paths.

When I attended my first games convention, it was because I had no one local to game with. Now I'm gaming every Saturday and Sunday, every week of the year, and have made many good friendships in the process.

Make your own opportunities happen!

Stephen White (DarkWhite)Venture-Captain, Melbourne

PS: To Do List: Create a Pathfinder Society druid concept that credibly supports a kangaroo animal companion in Golarion :/

I have been building up the Pathfinder Society scene here since late 2009 and was appointed Venture-Captain in October 2011, shortly after the call for regional Australian Venture-Captains. I started playing Dungeons & Dragons in my hometown of Kendal, in the northwest of the UK, with the Red Box back in 1982. A fanatic of Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone's Fighting Fantasy gamebooks, I was originally confused that, in D&D, I wasn't constrained by a short list of possible actions. It wasn't until I attended a local game day, in which I rolled up a 1st-level fighter, joined a band of higher-level heroes seeking to assault Castle Ravenloft, and was finally struck dead by the horrific keening of a groaning spirit, that I truly grasped how to play, and was completely and utterly hooked.

I migrated to Sydney in 1997 where I continued to play and GM by helping to start several gaming groups through my workplace and a local game store. We played through 2nd to 4th Edition, but settled on Pathfinder as our system of choice. We became involved with Pathfinder Society when we attended Gen Con Oz 2009 in Brisbane. There, we drank beer with Jason Bulmahn, and became friends with other Pathfinder players and GMs who remain active in the Australian Pathfinder Society to this day. Back in Sydney, I immediately started organizing Pathfinder Society game days. I started organizing Society conventions when Gen Con Oz 2010 was cancelled. As we had already booked our flights and accommodation, we needed an alternative and so Stephen White, Richard Adamson, John Deague, and I organized PaizoCon Oz. The event was a great success, and having learned a little of what was required, resolved to get involved with the convention scene in Sydney.

Australia is a big country. It's roughly the size of continental USA but with a total population of just under 23 million, most of whom are located in cities along the eastern seaboard. Australia is therefore characterized by urban populations separated by huge spaces of open country and desert. This "tyranny of distance" shapes our efforts in building the Pathfinder Society in Australia, forcing each Venture-Captain to develop in relative isolation from each other. I'm separated from Steve's region by around 600 miles, and from Cal's region by around 2,500 miles! It also means that, geographically speaking, our areas are quite large. Sydney's urban area is in a coastal basin, which is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Blue Mountains to the west, the Hawkesbury River to the north, and the Royal National Park to the south. Sydney's urban area is around 650 square miles and has a population of around 4.6 million. This is my core region.

My outer region, however, comprises the state of New South Wales, which contains the Australian Capital Territory. Apart from Sydney, the other major cities in this area are Canberra, Newcastle, and Wollongong. This outer region is so vast that it would be impossible for me to personally manage events across it on anything but an occasional basis and so self-managing groups are vital. Currently, by far the strongest of these is in Australia's capital city of Canberra, ably managed by Wes Nicholson, Sean Wellsmore, and Steven Coling through a roleplaying society based at the Australian National University. They run game days every other week, have a convention calendar that runs throughout the year, and are going from strength to strength. A new group has also recently started in Wollongong. Jesper Bjelke and Sibel Yilmaz are running a monthly game day at Good Games Wollongong and have forged links with the University of Wollongong's Guild Gaming Society who have just run their first convention, Gong-Con. Most of their players are new to Pathfinder Society, only just finished taking their First Steps.

In my core region of Sydney, there are 5 game days each month. Although the stores that have space for games are happy to host us, and for which we're very grateful, we do all of the organizing and running ourselves. On the first Saturday, Neil Mansell runs six sessions at Unlimited Hobbies in Blacktown along with his GMs, Adam Mansell, Brendan Missio, and James Bonham. On the second Saturday, Ben Kemp and Tony Calder runs four sessions through the long-running Blacktown Games Day at Blacktown North Public School. On the third Saturday, Luke Parry, Brad Kirkwood, and Adam Luchjenbroers run three sessions at Good Games Sydney, and Brendan Missio and David Zammit run games at Tin Soldier Penrith. On the last Saturday of the month, Tris Sullivan and Seb Mullins run two sessions at Good Games Burwood. More game days are in the works as well, and we hope to have sessions up and running in Miranda and Newcastle soon.

Sydney's convention scene is also well developed with six conventions per year. The next major Pathfinder Convention is one of my own, the Spring Shadowmoot, which will be named Risen Rune in honour of the new season, running over the Labour Day long weekend, September 28th to October 1st. There are around 60 sessions scheduled, including all the latest scenarios from Season Three, the first scenarios for Season Four, the Season Four multi-table special, sanctioned modules, and Australia's first public offering of the Eyes of the Ten arc.

Currently, our community centers around our Facebook page. Here we launch our events and discuss Pathfinder Society play in the region, so please "Like" the page to link up with us and keep up to date on what's happening.

I'd like to say a big thank you to all of the Sydney region's Pathfinder Society event organizers and GMs, for all their hard work and willingness to give up their time to entertain people. I've already shouted out some of these people in the above but there are many others, including enthusiastic players, too many to mention, who are helping to drive the hobby forward here in Sydney. My Venture-Lieutenant, Martin Blake, currently on secondment with the Colorado Chapter, is likely to make the move permanent and seek a Venture Officer role there. Although he was involved in organizing events here in Sydney for just a short time before he was relocated, his advice and enthusiasm will be missed. I'd like to take this opportunity, therefore, to welcome my new VL, Dave Metcalfe (aka Metz), to the role. Metz has been my adviser and co-organizer over the last year or so, and was very active in a previous organized play campaign. He'll be a key player in developing the Society here in the future, and I am thankful to have him as part of my team.

There have been several highlights in the local scene since I was appointed Venture-Captain. In October 2011, I organized my first Sydney convention, Shadow Lodge, and, at 31 sessions, it immediately became the biggest Pathfinder Society event that had run in the region. In December 2011, we ran five tables of Blood Under Absalom and had by far the largest number of sessions for any game on offer at MacquarieCon, another of Sydney's long-running roleplaying conventions. In April, our second Shadow Lodge convention, Ruby Phoenix, was even bigger! We had 60 players filling 375 seats over 64 sessions, which made Ruby Phoenix the largest Pathfinder gathering in the southern hemisphere to date!

The resurrection of the organized play scene in Canberra is also exciting in that it offers more options for more players across the greater region. Wes Nicholson and his team are organizing the relaunch of Spring Revel Downunder, which will be running over two weekends on Sep 28–Oct 1 and Oct 5–8. The successful inception of Society play in Wollongong as a completely new location is also very encouraging.

Over the course of 2012, we're aiming to start game days at a number of other new locations. And we'll of course continue to grow our offerings at conventions in Sydney and Canberra to support our growing player base. We're also working on a website that will unite the event calendars from across the region and act as a launchpad to our various online locations of interest, such as our Facebook page and Warhorn sites.

Ultimately, the true highlight of the Pathfinder Society is through the like-minded people you meet. It is probably this aspect that I find most satisfying and which gives me the greatest sense of achievement. The Sydney Pathfinder Society is developing strongly, with a great many new friendships forming as a result, and I'm excited to be able to help facilitate and promote it.

Alistair RiggVenture-Captain, Sydney

My heartfelt thanks goes out to all of the Venture-Captains and Lieutenants, coordinators, players, and GMs for making Australia an amazing area for Pathfinder Society. Keep up the awesome work all!

The Ranks Continue to Grow

Aug 20, 2012, 10:00 AM

The Ranks Continue to Grow Monday, August 20, 2012 As we continue to expand Pathfinder Society to areas where players are looking for organization, it’s important to me to find the right people to serve as ambassadors of the game, to present it in a positive light for new players and to try to bring veteran players who have left back into the fold. Four more Venture-Captains have been chosen to fill those roles. ... First, I wanted to note that Dan Simons has moved from Washington D.C. to...

The Ranks Continue to Grow

Monday, August 20, 2012

As we continue to expand Pathfinder Society to areas where players are looking for organization, it’s important to me to find the right people to serve as ambassadors of the game, to present it in a positive light for new players and to try to bring veteran players who have left back into the fold. Four more Venture-Captains have been chosen to fill those roles.

First, I wanted to note that Dan Simons has moved from Washington D.C. to Baltimore. He has resigned his Venture-Captain position in Washington D.C. but has taken the mantle as Baltimore’s new Venture-Captain. Players in that region are lucky to have an experienced leader to spur growth of organized play in their hometown.

Taking over as the Washington D.C. Venture-Captain is Mike Alchus. He comes into the position extremely motivated and well-advised, and is ready to extend his region of responsibility as far south as Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania, VA, and as far north as Columbia, MD. If there’s interest, he may also stretch his region out to Leesburg, VA, and possibly Mechanicsville, MD.

I am also excited to add three new areas to our Venture-Captain regions. The first is Oklahoma City. Michael Kirk plans to grow Pathfinder Society in Central and Western Oklahoma, as well as North Texas.

It also is exciting to add both east and west coasts of Canada to the mix. On the east, Jonathan Bilodeau will be overseeing growth of Pathfinder Society in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island. On the west, Anthony van Poppelen will be looking to grow Pathfinder Society in all of British Columbia north of Quesnel. He will particularly focus on the region in and around the University of Northern British Columbia. I am excited to see how much more Pathfinder Society can grow in Canada.

We’re still in need of additional Venture-Captains in some regions, though! Check out the list of regions we're looking for and the first phase of the application process on the Get Involved! page. If you’re interested in applying, please contact me after reviewing the application process in the previous link.

Pathfinder Society Additional Resources Updated

Aug 13, 2012, 10:40 AM

Pathfinder Society Additional Resources Updated Monday, August 13, 2012 With Gen Con just 4 days away, I wanted to release the updated Additional Resources today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. It also lets people who are picking up their subscription items at Gen Con have a list on hand so they can immediately utilize those books at the show. Note that even though the Additional Resources is being published today, it won’t officially go into effect...

Pathfinder Society Additional Resources Updated

Monday, August 13, 2012

With Gen Con just 4 days away, I wanted to release the updated Additional Resources today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. It also lets people who are picking up their subscription items at Gen Con have a list on hand so they can immediately utilize those books at the show. Note that even though the Additional Resources is being published today, it won’t officially go into effect until August 15.

With Ultimate Equipment being as voluminous as it is, I certainly missed a few items that have been banned in the past several years. Those items are still banned. If you find an item I forgot to include in the Ultimate Equipment list that is banned, please let me know. I will make sure they are added in the September update of Additional Resources.

In this upcoming Additional Resources, the following updates have been made:

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Advanced Player’s GuideEquipment: All staves in Chapter 7 are not legal for play from this source. If you purchased these prior to Aug. 15, 2012, they are grandfathered into the campaign.

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Ultimate Equipment

All items from Chapter 1 are legal for play except as noted below. Some rules elements are legal but function differently in Pathfinder Society Organized Play, as described here.Equipment: No Large or larger firearm is available for purchase. The double hackbut, culverin and any advanced firearms on Table 1–10 are not permitted in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. No character may purchase a firearm unless she possesses the Gunsmithing feat and firearms are never considered Always Available; a character must possess enough Fame to purchase any firearm not found on a Chronicle sheet or granted by a class feature. All ammunition except metal cartridges may be purchased.Special Materials: All special materials, except angel skin and living steel, are legal for play.

All items from Chapter 2 are legal for play except as noted below.Equipment: Only creatures of the animal type of size Large and smaller may be purchased. No eggs are legal for play. Animal-related gear on pages 80–86 is available for purchase. Transports on pages 86–87 are not available for purchase. All alchemical remedies, alchemical tools, alchemical weapons, clothing, entertainment items, and food and drink are legal for play.
Any character with the Poison Use class ability can purchase and use poisons. For now, they are the only classes that have a list of “always available poisons” (those noted below)—no other class may purchase poisons unless they appear on a Chronicle sheet or in another legal source. Alchemists, ninja, and poisoner rogues may only purchase the following poisons: black adder venom, bloodroot, giant wasp poison, greenblood oil, large scorpion venom, malyass root paste, Medium spider venom, nitharit, shadow essence, small centipede poison, terinav root.

All items from Chapter 4 are legal for play except as noted below.
All rings on pages 166–177 are legal for play.
All rods on pages 178–191, except rod of the viper, are legal for play.
All staves on pages 192–203, except unholy staff, are legal for play.

All items from Chapter 5 are legal for play except as noted below.Equipment: All items on pages 208–325, except ampoule of false blood, beneficial bandolier, bone razor, cauldron of the undead, collar of the true companion, darkskull, horn of evil, otherworldly kimono, orb of foul abaddon, robe of the archmagi (black), stalker’s mask, and talons of Leng are legal for play.

Nothing from Chapter 6 is legal for play unless it appears on a Chronicle sheet.

I hope that a few days of advance notice will help everyone plan for use of the new books releasing at Gen Con, and that you can properly prepare your characters to use all the new shiny toys during the show.

Guide 4.2 and Changes to Pathfinder Society Organized Play

Aug 6, 2012, 12:17 PM

Guide 4.2 and Changes to Pathfinder Society Organized Play Monday, August 6, 2012 With Gen Con just 10 days away, I wanted to release the new and improved Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.2 today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. With the help of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, and specifically the tireless efforts of Boston Venture-Captain Don Walker to help me with wordsmithing, we have added several much-needed...

Guide 4.2 and Changes to Pathfinder Society Organized Play

Monday, August 6, 2012

With Gen Con just 10 days away, I wanted to release the new and improved Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.2 today so everyone has an opportunity to review it and discuss it before Gen Con. With the help of the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, and specifically the tireless efforts of Boston Venture-Captain Don Walker to help me with wordsmithing, we have added several much-needed changes that we think will improve your experiences in Pathfinder Society play.

Most notably, the following changes will go into effect on August 16 when Season 4 kicks off at Gen Con:

We added three new races to character creation for all players to choose from: aasimar, tengu, and tiefling.

Scenarios and sanctioned module now have one unified set of rules for applying Chronicle sheets to pregenerated characters.

Added all hardcover rulebooks to the Core Assumption for GMs and advised that GMs can refer to the Pathfinder Reference Document for rules from any books they don’t own.

Updated text so GMs are now allowed to take boons when they are offered on a Chronicle sheet.

As for other changes to Pathfinder Society play, over the past 6 months, I have taken a keen interest in various things that don’t fit Golarion thematically or that cause confusion with power imbalance in the context of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign. I have talked with players that frequent the messageboards, as well players at the various conventions I have attended. I have discussed the topics below with Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, as well as with members of Paizo’s design and development teams. While some of these might work well in a home game (and I have some players that use them in my home game), they simply are not a good fit for organized play.

With that said, the following archetypes and equipment are being removed from Pathfinder Society Organized Play as legal options effective August 16, 2012:

Equipment

Arcane bonded items must be listed as Always Available (thus, no firearms)

Added to the Additional Resources on June 20:

No Large or larger firearms available for purchase at any point.
Double hackbut (Ultimate Combat 138)
Culverin (Ultimate Combat 138)

Obviously, these changes do not reflect every problem, or cover every potential problem, in the Pathfinder Society, and we will continue to monitor, discuss, and evaluate material as it affects the format and as new material is released. We do not intend actions like this to be a regular occurrence. We did not make these changes lightly and recognize that many of you will feel like this is either too much or too little or somewhere in between. But I feel that these changes are necessary for the health and well-being of the campaign.

With that said, I understand the time investment and care put into a character’s background and the planning that goes along with making sure the character fits exactly how you envision him. If you have a character affected by the changes above, I am offering a rebuild along the following guidelines:

You may rebuild any class levels affected, to levels of other classes as necessary. (For example, if you have a 10th-level character with one level of rogue and nine levels of the synthesist summoner archetype, you may rebuild the nine summoner levels into any other class or another summoner archetype).

You may retrain any feats that directly apply to the changes above as necessary.

You may sell affected equipment for the full price paid when you purchased them (as listed on past Chronicle sheets).

However you feel about these changes, I ask that you remain respectful of the feelings of others when commenting below. We are a community and we all know players who probably have a beloved character affected by the changes above. Please keep discourse civil and appropriate.

I look forward to seeing folks at the show and am looking toward a bright future for the campaign. I sincerely appreciate everyone who provided feedback, whether it was for the changes to the Guide or the options being removed above, in working together to make our organized play the best it can be for the player base and GMs. Feel free to pull me aside at Gen Con to chat about any or all of the above changes.

Open Call Revisited

Aug 2, 2012, 10:00 AM

Open Call Revisited Thursday, August 2, 2012As some have noticed, when we launched the new Pathfinder Society Organized Play homepage here on paizo.com, we removed the Write for Pathfinder Society page. This is mainly because the Open Call as it existed wasn’t working as intended and we were in the process of changing it. Well, that process is now complete, and aspiring authors and game designers can now find the revised guidelines on the Get Involved! page. ... In short, for the last few...

Open Call Revisited

Thursday, August 2, 2012

As some have noticed, when we launched the new Pathfinder Society Organized Play homepage here on paizo.com, we removed the Write for Pathfinder Society page. This is mainly because the Open Call as it existed wasn’t working as intended and we were in the process of changing it. Well, that process is now complete, and aspiring authors and game designers can now find the revised guidelines on the Get Involved! page.

In short, for the last few years, we’d been asking for brief adventure proposals for Pathfinder Society Scenarios, while at the same time increasing the amount of plotting that went into each successive season. The result of this was that even when we got an outline for an amazing adventure we wanted to publish, finding a way to fit it into the season’s metaplot or product schedule between other scenarios became untenable. Additionally, we found that asking for a few hundred words of prose didn’t give us a good sense of how an author would actually perform when tasked with writing encounters, designing stat blocks, and mapping, all of which are vital skills any freelancer needs to possess. The end result was that we weren’t getting submissions we could easily use, and the already difficult task of getting one’s foot in the door as one of Paizo’s writers became even more challenging for those submitting queries.

The solution we’ve now implemented is this: instead of asking for an adventure proposal, we’re now soliciting Pathfinder Society Quests—2,000-word mini-adventures containing one or two tiered encounters and using GameMastery Map Packs and Flip-Mat lines. This format allows authors to show us they have a grasp of the rules, can write an adventure on a small scale, and can tell a story using encounters as the primary mode of imparting plot and character to players and GMs. And, to top it all off, a submission we like is something we can immediately use with very little development. Whether we publish an accepted Quest on paizo.com, use it as a Pathfinder RPG demo at conventions or game stores, or promote the campaign by putting the adventure in another medium like Kobold Quarterly, authors whose work we like can get paid for their effort and see the fruits of their labor in print much faster.

You can now download our first Pathfinder Society Quest, the Tier 1–5 Ambush in Absalom (written last spring by yours truly). We’ll let everyone know when we have more available and where you can find them.

The Year of the Risen Rune Launches at Gen Con

Jul 30, 2012, 11:45 AM

The Year of the Risen Rune Launches at Gen Con Monday, July 30, 2012 ... Illustrations by Miguel Harkness and Jason RainvilleAs players and GMs familiar with the Pathfinder Society Organized Play program surely know after four full seasons of adventure, each year a new season of the campaign launches at Gen Con, and this year is no different. Over the last few seasons, we’ve worked to increase the amount of continuity within the campaign such that each season has a clear theme and plot arc,...

The Year of the Risen Rune Launches at Gen Con

Monday, July 30, 2012

Illustrations by Miguel Harkness and Jason Rainville

As players and GMs familiar with the Pathfinder Society Organized Play program surely know after four full seasons of adventure, each year a new season of the campaign launches at Gen Con, and this year is no different. Over the last few seasons, we’ve worked to increase the amount of continuity within the campaign such that each season has a clear theme and plot arc, and so that participants in the campaign will be able to see the effects of their actions as the campaign evolves over several years. I think Season 4, which we’re calling the Year of the Risen Rune, will be the best season yet!

The Year of the Risen Rune will take the focus of the campaign to Varisia, land of ancient ruins, powerful magic, and political forces competing for control of the largely untamed frontier region. We’ll visit such classic Pathfinder locations as Korvosa, Riddleport, Magnimar, and Kaer Maga, as well as places no published adventure has yet trod, including the dwarf city of Janderhoff, the orc outcast city of Urglin, and unplumbed Thassilonian ruins that have never been mentioned before. The Pathfinder Society will truly be exploring uncharted territory.

The season will also see the return of several ongoing villains, including the rogue Shadow Lodge dissidents who threatened the entire society 2 years ago (and who were first encountered in Kaer Maga), the Aspis Consortium, and several yet-to-be-revealed blasts from the campaign’s past. There will also be new foes making life tough for Pathfinders, including the cult of Lissala—forgotten goddess of runes, fate, and obedience—whose gift of rune magic to Thassilon’s founder paved the way for the evil runelords to wrest control of the ancient empire. The Year of the Risen Rune will culminate in a confrontation with the campaign’s most dangerous and powerful threat yet, though who or what that force of malevolence is will have to wait for a reveal later in the season.

We’ll be debuting the season with four brand-new scenarios at Gen Con, written by fan-favorite authors Matt Goodall, Mike Shel, Larry Wilhelm, and Dennis Baker. Whether it’s Rise of the Goblin Guild, which pits the Pathfinders against the Pathfinder campaign setting’s most beloved little psychopaths, or In Wrath’s Shadow, in which the PCs will explore an ancient ruin at the foot of Hollow Mountain, seat of power of the Runelord of Wrath, there’ll be no shortage of potential adventure for players at Gen Con.

And for over 500 participants in the annual Pathfinder Society Special on Friday night, the 75-table event Race for the Runecarved Key, Tim Hitchcock and Kyle Baird will pit teams against one another to qualify for an exclusive second part of the event on Saturday night.

Check out a few pieces of art from these forthcoming scenarios to hold you over for another two and a half weeks, and we’ll see you with your dice and minis in hand on Thursday, August 16 at Gen Con Indy!

Guests at Paizo's Gen Con Booth

Jul 16, 2012, 10:00 AM

Guests at Paizo's Gen Con Booth Monday, July 16, 2012This will be my seventeenth Gen Con. The previous 16 Gen Cons I have attended all hold different and special memories. From GMing 10 slots of Pathfinder Society, to winning the Alternity RPG Open in the late 1990s, to taking my wife and son to their first Gen Cons, they all hold a special meaning. One of my fondest memories was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when I was able to get autographs from both Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. As a young...

Guests at Paizo's Gen Con Booth

Monday, July 16, 2012

This will be my seventeenth Gen Con. The previous 16 Gen Cons I have attended all hold different and special memories. From GMing 10 slots of Pathfinder Society, to winning the Alternity RPG Open in the late 1990s, to taking my wife and son to their first Gen Cons, they all hold a special meaning. One of my fondest memories was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when I was able to get autographs from both Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. As a young 20-something, it was quite the experience to meet these two icons of the industry. Much as I was able to meet two industry people, and later was able to brag about it to friends who didn't join me that year, meeting the people that work in the industry is the highlight of the show for many convention-goers.

This year at Gen Con, you will, of course, meet the Paizo celebrities that work our booth year after year. Among these will be Jason Bulmahn, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Sean K Reynolds, F. Wesley Schneider, and James L. Sutter. But this year, we'll also have several special guests that work with Paizo on various products.

From Goblinworks, the company working to bring Golarion to life at Pathfinder Online, Ryan Dancey and Mark Kalmes will make appearances.

We will also have several of our Pathfinder Tales authors hosting meet and greets and signing your novels. Among the authors currently scheduled to make appearances are Dave Gross, Howard Andrew Jones, and Robin D. Laws.

Additionally, Paizo has teamed up with Dynamite Entertainment to officially launch the brand new Pathfinder comic book with a special Gen Con-exclusive edition of Pathfinder #1 for sale at the Paizo booth. Artist Andrew Huerta and writer Jim Zubkavich will also be on hand to meet with fans and reveal new details about the monthly comic series.

The cast and crew from the films Dorkness Rising and The Gamers are planning several appearances at the booth.

And members of our very own art department, Sarah Robinson and Andrew Vallas, will be doing art portfolio reviews throughout the con.

All in all, that is a great list of guests that are joining us at the Paizo booth to round out the show for you and surely make for the most memorable Gen Con yet.

Pathfinder Society Overview for Gen Con

Jul 9, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society Overview for Gen Con Monday, July 9, 2012This year's Gen Con will be the most ambitious for Pathfinder Society yet. With Gen Con being the largest gaming convention in North America, I thought of how I could make Pathfinder Society bigger and better than it has ever been, while improving the quality for our players. So, I wanted to give an overview of what to expect from Pathfinder Society if you are attending Gen Con this year. ... Last year, we ran 50 tables of Pathfinder...

Pathfinder Society Overview for Gen Con

Monday, July 9, 2012

This year's Gen Con will be the most ambitious for Pathfinder Society yet. With Gen Con being the largest gaming convention in North America, I thought of how I could make Pathfinder Society bigger and better than it has ever been, while improving the quality for our players. So, I wanted to give an overview of what to expect from Pathfinder Society if you are attending Gen Con this year.

Last year, we ran 50 tables of Pathfinder Society scenarios per slot. We sold out almost all tickets within the first week of ticket sales going live, so I knew I wanted to expand our play opportunities. In 2011, we had four rooms attached with the walls open to create one large Pathfinder Society gaming hall. It was fairly crowded with so many tables in that one area, so we requested and received seven rooms this year. Having almost doubled the size of the gaming hall, I wanted to expand the number of tables but also increase the amount of room between tables, as I know this was a suggestion from last year made by numerous players and GMs. So, I only added 50 percent more tables this year, expanding the Pathfinder Society gaming hall to 75 tables per slot.

Another piece of good feedback we received was that with the Pathfinder Society HQ set up against one wall, the people on the other end of the gaming hall had a difficult time interacting with HQ. With this year's hall having almost double the size, I wanted to change things up a bit to make it easier for both GMs and players to interact with HQ. Therefore, we are making a larger Pathfinder Society HQ and placing it in the center of the gaming hall. In addition, I have assigned 8–10 volunteers per gaming slot to work solely in Pathfinder Society HQ to help facilitate administrative tasks more quickly, including getting data entry of tracking sheets completed while at the con. This will also help us to correct any errors that come up on site as opposed to weeks later after the show. The volunteers will also serve to muster GMs and players to tables, facilitate the prize table, and various other tasks.

We will also be introducing Season 4 of the Pathfinder Society to all of you. The new Pathfinder Society Guide to Organized Play (which will be the focus of a blog post in a few weeks) will go live, and I think many of you will appreciate the new rules changes and tweaks. We will still have some favorite scenarios from Season 3, as well as the final four Season 3 scenarios that were launched at PaizoCon. But we will also be debuting the Year of the Risen Rune with four brand-new scenarios to help kick off Season 4. In total, we will have 18 different scenarios for players to choose from.

In addition, we will have the largest Gen Con Special to date, seating 450 players to complete the adventure as a group, similar to the Year of the Shadow Lodge and Blood Under Absalom from the last two Gen Cons. This year, we have added to the Special and created a competitive, exclusive second round of play that will only be available at Gen Con 2012. The top three tables from each tier will advance to the second round by utilizing a secret scoring system. I have hand selected only four- and five-star GMs to judge these tables, with many of them being current or former Venture-Captains. We may also have a celebrity GM or two to add to the mix. Every table that advances to the second round will receive a better Chronicle sheet than that which was received in the first round and awarded to all players. The top table from each tier in the second round will receive a unique Chronicle sheet awarding a very special, one-of-a-kind prize that will only be available at Gen Con.

Don't worry if you miss out on those two Chronicles. We will also have 18 new Pathfinder Society convention Chronicles available to win. This year, for every two events you play in, you will win something, whether it be a special Pathfinder Society boon or a Pathfinder product.

In addition to all of the above, we are launching three new events this year for Gen Con 2012. We are adding the Kid's Track, the Beginner Box Introductions, and the GM 101 workshops.

For the Kid's Track, we have set aside two tables for the morning and afternoon slots that are for children attending Gen Con, offering them a chance to play the Beginner Box Intro adventures with other children their age. These slots are 2 hours each and will be run four times each day at each of the two tables. A different adventure will be run each day of Gen Con, and any child who completes all four will receive a special certificate denoting his or her achievements. In addition, we will be providing pregenerated characters, as well as the corresponding miniature from the Beginner Box Heroes miniature pack, for the child to keep. If the child plays all four adventures with a different pregen, she can walk away with the full set. We will also be providing parents a coupon for 10% off the purchase of the Beginner Box while at the show. Finally, we will be providing each child a set of dice to keep.

For the Beginner Box Introductions, I decided to make this a 5-hour, paid slot this year. The first hour will have the GM explaining the basic rules of the game, reviewing the pregenerated characters, and answering any questions. The final 4 hours of the slot will allow the players to play through all four of the Beginner Box Intro adventures that were used for the Beginner Box Bash last October.

The GM 101 workshops were launched at PaizoCon for their final test run and will be making their official debut at Gen Con. The workshops were developed by the Georgia regional coordinators, and then over the past 6 months, with the help of several awesome Venture-Captains across North America, we tested various ideas for GM 101 classes in their regions. We took those ideas, formulated the best ones into a grouping, and drafted up solid guidelines for what we are calling the GM 101 workshops. As they are 5 hours long, and knowing your time is valuable at Gen Con, we broke the program into two parts. The first part, which will run for 2 hours, is titled Pathfinder GM Basics. This introductory program focuses on improving GMing skills, handling challenges, and giving a great table experience. Part 1 includes four breakout sessions covering Roleplaying and Lore, Combat and Rules, Running the Game, and Advanced Topics. Part 2 is titled Practice Makes Perfect. Part 2 of this program introduces the Deck of Many Situations, a tool to help GMs focus on improving their improvisational technique while applying the lessons learned in Part 1. Participants draw cards that detail difficult GMing situations, and have a brief period to resolve their respective situations before time is called. Our experienced GMs offer advice and techniques based on observation of your GMing style tailored to help you sharpen your skills and improve your expertise.

Finally, for those not familiar with Pathfinder Society, we will be hosting two Pathfinder Society Q&A sessions on Thursday and Saturday morning. We hope that any player who has wanted to try out Pathfinder Society but hasn't for whatever reason, will come to one of these seminars, ask any questions he or she might have, and then try out Pathfinder Society sometime during the course of the convention.

With just over a month away, I am excited about my first Gen Con as Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator. I have tried to put together the best possible programming for all of you and hope to make this your best Pathfinder Society experience to date. There are still tickets available for most scenarios, but those numbers will continue to rapidly decrease the closer we get to the show. If you haven't purchased your event tickets yet, head over to the Gen Con event registration site to do so. You don't want to miss out on all the new and exciting things we have planned for Pathfinder Society at Gen Con 2012.

Archerfeast

Jul 2, 2012, 10:00 AM

Archerfeast Monday, July 2, 2012 Back in January, when I learned that PaizoCon was the first week of July, I knew we would be tying Archerfeast into the Grand Convocation somehow. The fact that Archerfeast falls on Erastus 3rd on Golarion made for a perfect fit for today's Pathfinder Society blog post. ... Managing Editor, F. Wesley Schneider, wrote the description below detailing Archerfeast, and beneath that you'll find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply...

Archerfeast

Monday, July 2, 2012

Back in January, when I learned that PaizoCon was the first week of July, I knew we would be tying Archerfeast into the Grand Convocation somehow. The fact that Archerfeast falls on Erastus 3rd on Golarion made for a perfect fit for today's Pathfinder Society blog post.

Managing Editor, F. Wesley Schneider, wrote the description below detailing Archerfeast, and beneath that you'll find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character. Archerfeast is mentioned on page 249 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide.

Across Avistan, few festival days are as anticipated or celebrated as widely as Archerfeast. Despite the holiday's origins in the worship of Erastil, common countryfolk from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings to Taldor celebrate the height of summer with a day set aside for establishing new relationships, enjoying current camaraderie, and celebrating the gifts of the gods.

While the festival's traditions emphasize contests of marksmanship—still a prominent part of any Archerfeast celebration—most have expanded to exhibit talents of all types, from baking and storytelling to racing and mock combat. Aside from encouraging a fair-like atmosphere, many of the displays and competitions serve one of two secondary purposes: either as a way for merchants to show off their superior livestock and wares, or—more popularly—as a way for eligible men and women to show off to each other.

While the day's events at most Archerfeast fairs are filled with games, food, and crafts, the night brings dancing, drinking, pranks, and the crowning of the princes and princesses of spring and summer for the two single youths and two single adults who faired best in the day's events. The festivities continue late into the evening, but end promptly at midnight, so that—in true Erastilian fashion—the next day's responsibilities are not overly impeded. For those not of Erastil's flock, however, private parties, drinking, and trysting carry on long into the next morning.

Click here to download the Archerfeast 4712 Boon! - 119 KB (zip/PDF)This Boon is no longer available as of 7/23/12.

Grand Convocation Preview Highlights

Jun 25, 2012, 10:00 AM

Grand Convocation Preview Highlights Monday, June 25, 2012This week’s blog is not only going to be my last sneak peak blog for the Grand Convocation, but is also going to be a change of pace from our last few, in-character updates on the upcoming Grand Convocation. Today we’re going to talk about it from an event standpoint. ... For those who don’t know, the 2012 Grand Convocation will be running at PaizoCon, and will be the premiere Pathfinder Society event. What we haven’t discussed in...

Grand Convocation Preview Highlights

Monday, June 25, 2012

This week’s blog is not only going to be my last sneak peak blog for the Grand Convocation, but is also going to be a change of pace from our last few, in-character updates on the upcoming Grand Convocation. Today we’re going to talk about it from an event standpoint.

For those who don’t know, the 2012 Grand Convocation will be running at PaizoCon, and will be the premiere Pathfinder Society event. What we haven’t discussed in detail is exactly what the event will comprise, so today I’m going to talk about that!

The Grand Convocation takes place Friday evening. Check-in for the event will begin at 6:30 P.M., giving players time to get in while GMs and volunteers finish up their prep. Each player will get a nametag, along with a special faction mission for the event.

At 7 P.M. the Grand Convocation officially opens. From here players will be able to participate in a series of ongoing events:

Side Tables: Each side table will give players a relatively quick event to experience, and each table may award a special Chronicle sheet depending on how well the players did during the event. These events may also be staffed by important NPCs, so in order to complete some faction missions, the players will need to attend these events and meet with the NPC.

Quests: Throughout the Convocation, venture-captains will be recruiting parties for dangerous missions. Players can expect to join a quest while they are waiting for the side tables, or resting and relaxing at the Pathfinder Social. Each player can expect a 45-minute to 1.5-hour event that awards a Chronicle sheet for completing the quest.

Pathfinder Social: As a rest-and-relaxation area, the Pathfinder Social will also have timed events occur. Players can interact in a live-action environment, without any enforced rules system governing their actions. This is a non-combat zone. Several faction-mission-related objectives will be found here.

Faction Missions: Each faction present at the Convocation will have a specific agenda, and players will be asked to aid their faction in promoting this agenda. We’re going to keep the specifics on the faction missions a mystery for now, but the results of these missions will directly impact a small part of Season 4 of Pathfinder Society!

Surprises: There are also a few other things planned but I don’t want to spoil all the surprises. Suffice it to say, there should be some very happy players by the time the Convocation ends.

The above events will wrap up by 10:30 P.M., at which point players will partake in a final event to close out the Convocation. As for what this finale entails... well, you’ll just have to show up and find out for yourself!

Suitors and Rumors, Part 2

Jun 18, 2012, 10:00 AM

Suitors and Rumors, Part 2 Monday, June 18, 2012As we get closer to this year’s Grand Convocation, more and more news seems to be springing up. This week we’ve received another update from Grandmaster Torch. ... Esteemed Pathfinders, ... As the Convocation approaches, this year is becoming far more interesting; yet more special guests have been added to the list of attendees. I’m still putting together what the motives of these newcomers are, but I wanted to share what I’ve found thus far....

Suitors and Rumors, Part 2

Monday, June 18, 2012

As we get closer to this year’s Grand Convocation, more and more news seems to be springing up. This week we’ve received another update from Grandmaster Torch.

Esteemed Pathfinders,

As the Convocation approaches, this year is becoming far more interesting; yet more special guests have been added to the list of attendees. I’m still putting together what the motives of these newcomers are, but I wanted to share what I’ve found thus far.

Olaf Kvaran: Junior Pathfinders on the grounds of the Grand Lodge reported that Kvaran showed up at the peak of a furious torrential downpour. Laden in thick Ulfen furs, this man spoke of an impending disaster before being rushed to meet with Ambrus Valsin. Following that meeting, this overbearing Ulfen warrior has been added to the roster for this year’s Convocation. What dire prediction does he know that I do not?

Karla Gessner: Never before have I heard of such a pious and upstanding woman. Having studied in the famed Seventh Church of Iomedae, Karla Gessner only recently completed her training. Unlike most of her fellow students, this woman has remained in Absalom. After several meetings with the head priest and Ollysta Zadrian, Gessner has somehow managed to get her name on the guest list. An interesting turn of events!

Alexander Bedard: The influence of Andoran continues to spread, as I see a member of the nation’s People’s Council has managed to secure a spot at the Convocation. Alexander Bedard was formerly a worker of the port authority in Augustana, and I have met him on only a handful of occasions. The man speaks of nothing but his boats, but otherwise he understands the delicacies of balancing personal power with Andoran’s so-called democracy. Could his presence be part of a larger Andoren agenda?

Keep your ears open,
Grandmaster Torch

A few more tales have been spun by Pathfinder Larius Kaludju, and, while he insists that he won’t be able to attend this year’s Convocation, it appears there’s plenty going on in Absalom to keep aspiring and veteran Pathfinders alike occupied.

Another day, another mission.

Like any good Pathfinder, I’ve done my fair share of work for the Blakros family. On my last stop through the fair city of our Grand Lodge, I ended up playing a game of cards with a janitor in the depths of the famed Blakros Museum. After a few hands, the man opened up and started complaining that the vaults were overflowing and the museum was running out of storage space! I couldn’t believe it, and I truly wonder where the family plans on storing all their precious finds.

There’s also a juicy tidbit floating around town that tunnel diggers have been commissioned by Lord Gyr to start expanding the sewer systems. It’ll be nice to have some new sewer lines in the city, as I’ve had enough encounters with kobolds, spiders, and worse in these damned sewers!

Anyway, that’s about it for my tales. I’m off on a new mission to the Mwangi Expanse, but before I ship out, I’ve got a meeting with my old friend Urmas Sirola and his lovely wife, Venla. Kind of strange, considering Venla’s been doing a lot of work with the Blakros as well. I’ve even heard a rumor that she’s made her way into the family’s social circles and is helping them with some of their new acquisitions.

Suitors and Rumors, Part 1

Jun 11, 2012, 11:00 AM

Suitors and Rumors, Part 1 Monday, June 11, 2012This week, we’ve got another Grand Convocation update, which I’ll let Grand Master Torch tell you all about: ... My Trusted Associates, ... It has come to my attention that, in light of Major Maldris’s recent rejection of a Blakros marriage, various special guests have been admitted into this year’s Convocation. As you may know, I pride myself on reliable intelligence, and I pass this information on to each of you, hoping it will make attending...

Suitors and Rumors, Part 1

It has come to my attention that, in light of Major Maldris’s recent rejection of a Blakros marriage, various special guests have been admitted into this year’s Convocation. As you may know, I pride myself on reliable intelligence, and I pass this information on to each of you, hoping it will make attending the Convocation easier on you.

Damian Kastner: A maralictor of the Hellknight order, Kastner has been invited by the affluent Paracountess Zarta Dralneen. Damian is also a devout member of the Hellknight Order of the Scourge, and it appears he acts in deference to the wishes of the Paracountess. He is a respected member of the Hellknights and a near-perfect specimen of human perfection. I wonder what the Paracountess has in mind by inviting him?

Garyth Pammenter: You have likely not heard of this wily rogue, as her exploits are kept discreet by our allies in the Blakros family. Garyth is responsible for some of the greatest heists in history—all from Blakros holdings. The family has maintained a feud with this dashing thief for years, but it appears that she opted to return all of her ill-gotten gains for a chance to attend the Convocation and meet with Michellia Blakros. I have no doubt that the meddling of Guaril Karela had something to do with this attendance.

Mikhail Hofer: I had no clue of this man’s identity until one of my agents reported his attendance at this year’s Convocation. As a graduate of Korvosa’s Acadamae, Hofer runs a prominent business in Absalom, though he spends most of his time selling minor spells to esteemed noble families. Despite a clearly bumbling nature and moderate appearance, Hofer has been sponsored by the Sapphire Sage Amenopheus, as an attendee to the Convocation. Interesting...

Theodric Alverteen: While I try to leave politics out of my dealings, the old man Theodric Alverteen is a perfect example of the decline of Taldor. Once a prominent noble, Theodric left Taldor to go on a worldwide hunting excursion. Now finished seeking trophies, the old man has come to Absalom to show off his many conquests. I had the opportunity to meet him at a recent gala, and I can say that his mental faculties are not... entirely present. Why Gloriana Morilla would sponsor his membership to the Convocation is something I cannot even begin to fathom.

Yours in trust,
Grand Master Torch

In addition to the words of the Grand Master Torch, there have been many whispers throughout Absalom about the current state of the city. Many of these happenings have been compiled by expert Pathfinder and renowned bard Larius Kaludju. We hope to share more of these in the coming weeks.

Gather round, children, and hear the tale that I have to pawn, about Absalom at the time of summer’s dawn.

The people are going to bed early, hoping to hide out in their homes, as a terrible shadow stretches out from the Cairnlands. My guess is that we’ve got another uppity siege tower working some bad magic, and so far, no adventurers have returned from it. Rumors abound that this tower only appears in the late hours of the evening and remains until the wee-hours of the morn’. They say the screams can be heard all day long, but I think that’s just other bards trying to make it sound more dangerous than it actually is!

On a more upbeat note, the Absalom Menagerie is now closed for construction. Apparently, the warden is looking to do some new renovations in preparation for adding more space to their jungle wing. I, for one, look forward to going back, once the Menagerie has reopened; there’s nothing like seeing a child trying to pet a tiger!

I also hear that the Menagerie recently imported some exotic magical animals from the south, but everyone’s been hush-hush on that bit of info.

The Kickstarter Chronicles

Jun 4, 2012, 10:00 AM

The Kickstarter Chronicles Monday, June 4, 2012Since Paizo and Goblinworks first announced the Kickstarter project to fund a technology demo of the Pathfinder Online MMO game, one of the most common questions both on our forums and on the Kickstarter project page has been: how will this work with Pathfinder Society Organized Play? ... Backers who pledge at least $15 will receive the PDF of Thornkeep, an all-new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game sourcebook written by industry superstar Rich Baker,...

The Kickstarter Chronicles

Monday, June 4, 2012

Since Paizo and Goblinworks first announced the Kickstarter project to fund a technology demo of the Pathfinder Online MMO game, one of the most common questions both on our forums and on the Kickstarter project page has been: how will this work with Pathfinder Society Organized Play?

Backers who pledge at least $15 will receive the PDF of Thornkeep, an all-new Pathfinder Roleplaying Game sourcebook written by industry superstar Rich Baker, containing not only a gazetteer of the River Kingdoms “hive of scum and villainy” that will play a prominent role in the online game, but also a massive dungeon with levels designed by Baker, Paizo Lead Designer Jason Bulmahn, Paizo Creative Director James Jacobs, and Paizo Publisher Erik Mona, and if the project nets $175,000, all levels of the dungeon will be included in the printed version of the book with an expanded page count.

And we plan to release Chronicle sheets to give Pathfinder Society characters venturing into the dungeons beneath Thornkeep an in-world benefit for surviving the dungeons within. The fact that all backers will have the opportunity to select the theme of each dungeon layer beyond the first means it’s a rare chance for Pathfinder Society GMs and players to help decide what adventures their PCs will take part in. And by backing the project, you ensure that you’ll have access to those levels when they’re released.

So make sure you check out the Kickstarter project, consider backing it, and spread the word to your fellow Pathfinder Society members. The project ends this week, so don’t wait. This is your chance to help make the Pathfinder Online game a reality, and decide the flavor of an all-star multilevel dungeon that promises to go down in Pathfinder history!

Pathfinder Society in the Netherlands (or Join the Crew of the Flying Dutchman)

May 29, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society in the Netherlands (or Join the Crew of the Flying Dutchman) Tuesday, May 29, 2012 ... Illustration by ... Christopher BurdettLast month, we highlighted Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia, and Venture-Captain Zrinka Znidarcic's efforts to grow Pathfinder Society there. We now shift our focus back to the northwest and the land of the Dutch. I present to you, Venture-Captain Auke Teeninga's report on Pathfinder Society in the Netherlands. ... The Netherlands is a small country in...

Pathfinder Society in the Netherlands (or Join the Crew of the Flying Dutchman)

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Illustration by Christopher Burdett

Last month, we highlighted Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia, and Venture-Captain Zrinka Znidarcic's efforts to grow Pathfinder Society there. We now shift our focus back to the northwest and the land of the Dutch. I present to you, Venture-Captain Auke Teeninga's report on Pathfinder Society in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands is a small country in northwest Europe. It borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders with the United Kingdom. The country's capital is Amsterdam and the seat of government is The Hague. The Netherlands, in its entirety, is often referred to as Holland, although North and South Holland are actually only two of its twelve provinces. The Netherlands is a geographically low-lying country, with about 25% of its area and 21% of its population located below sea level, and its name literally means "Low Country."

In 1602 the Dutch East India Company was established. This chartered company is often considered to have been the first multinational corporation in the world and was the first company to issue stock. Its mercantile fleets challenged the best in the world for supremacy, and due to the companies success the Netherlands, enjoyed a so-called "Golden Age" of prosperity. Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer perfected their crafts. Christian Huygens and Anton van Leeuwenhoek made amazing discoveries in science. Cities like Amsterdam, Leiden, Utrecht, and Delft started to grow, and their distinctive canals were dug to provide both infrastructure and defensive capabilities.

Nowadays, these same cities are still used as a home base for expeditions. Multiple times each month, teams of explorers from the Pathfinder Society are sent to Golarion to search ancient ruins, collect art and artifacts, and gather knowledge to bring back to the Grand Lodge of Absalom.

I started playing Pathfinder Society at GenCon UK in 2008, and continued to do so at various conventions in the United Kingdom. I wanted to share my enjoyment (and cut back on flight costs to the UK), so I started organizing regular games in the Netherlands in 2010. The Dutch Pathfinder Society has been growing ever since, and currently we've got more than two dozen active players, half of which GM regularly. I've got big plans for 2013, which includes a multi-day, multi-table, Pathfinder Society-only convention like PaizoCon UK, and get players from across Europe to join and share their Pathfinder experience, while at the same time helping us to grow our player base.

Although we have a few stores in the Netherlands willing to host Pathfinder Society games, most of games are run from private homes. The games, however, are open to everyone (as long as they RSVP) and no one has been turned down yet!

In the Netherlands there are also quite a few roleplaying conventions, and the Pathfinder Society presence at these conventions is increasing slowly but steadily. Some of these conventions include:

If you live in the Netherlands and are interested in trying out Pathfinder Society Organized Play, join the Pathfinder Society NL forum on Google Groups or send an email to dutchpathfinder@gmail.com for more information. Convention organizers and store owners interested in hosting Pathfinder Society events should send an email to pathfinderbenelux@gmail.com.

If you are in another country and do not have a Venture-Captain, but think you can do as good a job as Auke did above, please do not hesitate to send me a write-up about Pathfinder Society play in your area of the world and include some photos.

A Preview of the Grand Convocation

May 21, 2012, 10:30 AM

A Preview of the Grand Convocation Monday, May 21, 2012There are always interesting things taking place in the Pathfinder Society. Take, for example, this message that has been sent out to Pathfinders across Golarion... ... Amara Li—Lantern Lodge LeaderPathfinder, ... We hope this message finds you in good health, wherever you are operating from. ... This year has seen the Society endure many hardships alongside equal victories. Our achievements in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament have not...

A Preview of the Grand Convocation

Monday, May 21, 2012

There are always interesting things taking place in the Pathfinder Society. Take, for example, this message that has been sent out to Pathfinders across Golarion...

Amara Li—Lantern Lodge Leader

Pathfinder,

We hope this message finds you in good health, wherever you are operating from.

This year has seen the Society endure many hardships alongside equal victories. Our achievements in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament have not gone unrewarded, and even now, agents like you are taking on dangerous journeys as a result of our spoils. As these missions come to an end, we look to the new year as new opportunities and challenges face the Pathfinder Society.

In preparation, we invite you, our most prized agents, to attend this year’s Grand Convocation. As it takes place on the grounds of the Grand Lodge in Absalom, you should all know of our yearly gathering. It is here where the best of our agents come to trade tales of their exploits, partake in feats of strength, knowledge, and guile, or even venture off the grounds and take part in specialty missions on our behalf.

Though it has not yet been made public knowledge, we also wish to keep you apprised of a recent development here in Absalom. A member of the esteemed Blakros family, Michellia Blakros, requested the hand of Andoran Major Colson Maldris in marriage. As many of you may be aware, while not a member of the Society, Major Maldris is a sponsor of many Pathfinders and a great ally of our organization. As a complication, the major has opted to reject Michellia’s proposition, unwilling to surrender his name and rank as would be required.

Guaril Karela—Sczarni Faction Leader

The actions of Major Maldris have had dire consequences for our relations with the Blakros family. The Decemvirate agrees that this divide must be mended, and as such we have taken the unique step of inviting the Blakros family to this year’s convocation. It is our hope that Pathfinders such as you will attend this year’s gathering and assist the Society in mending this potentially disastrous divide between our organization and the Blakros family.

As always, your continued efforts are appreciated.

Venture-Captain Ambrus ValsinGrand Lodge, Absalom

Clearly the other factions are already looking to capitalize on Major Maldris’s rejection of a Blakros offer, so this is gearing up to be a Grand Convocation to remember at both PaizoCon and PaizoCon UK!

If you’re interested in attending the event, make sure you’re registered for PaizoCon 2012 or Paizo Con UK 2012! Registration is coming soon and we plan on keeping Pathfinders (both those in attendance and those off on assignment) up to date on all information up to and following the event.

The Grand Convocation is a yearly gathering held by the Pathfinder Society to bring together the best of Pathfinders from across the globe. Taking place on the grounds of the Grand Lodge in Absalom, the convocation is an event where Pathfinders can get together and exchange tales, take part in feats of strength and guile, or be recruited for specialized missions. This year, the event is being honored by the presence of the esteemed Blakros family as well as various other prestigious people from across the Inner Sea, promising to be a convocation to remember!

Expect to see the following:

Tailored Quests (45-minute to 1.5-hour mini-scenarios)

Special Side Events (approximately 15 minutes per event)

Pathfinder Social (A place for people to take part in live-action events)

Faction Objectives

And more!

The PaizoCon Grand Convocation 2012 is a Pathfinder Special open to characters of all levels—including those retired characters of 12th level or higher—that will have a direct influence on certain plot points of Season 4, the Year of the Risen Rune.

The Evolution of the Multipart Scenario

May 14, 2012, 10:00 AM

The Evolution of the Multipart Scenario Monday, May 14, 2012 ... Illustration by Yngvar AsplundAs early as Season 1, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign has featured a number of multipart scenarios—mini campaign arcs designed to tell longer and more complex stories than a single 4-hour gaming session can provide. Whether in the form of four-part series like The Devil We Know, Echoes of the Everwar, and the Tier 12 retirement arc The Eyes of the Ten; a three-part arc like this...

The Evolution of the Multipart Scenario

Monday, May 14, 2012

Illustration by Yngvar Asplund

As early as Season 1, the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign has featured a number of multipart scenarios—mini campaign arcs designed to tell longer and more complex stories than a single 4-hour gaming session can provide. Whether in the form of four-part series like The Devil We Know, Echoes of the Everwar, and the Tier 12 retirement arc The Eyes of the Ten; a three-part arc like this season’s The Quest for Perfection and last season’s The Heresy of Man and Shades of Ice; or a two-part story such as The City of Strangers, Shadow’s Last Stand, and Before the Dawn, the level of continuity between segments and the arcs’ overall scopes have varied quite a bit in the last three years.

One of my goals as developer of the Pathfinder Society Scenarios line is to make multipart scenarios feel more cohesive and to provide players with a sense of accomplishment for completing these long format series. But finding the right balance of telling compelling, immersive stories and meeting the needs of the organized play campaign’s unique design parameters hasn’t come easy. And we’re still trying out new things.

Earlier this year, we released the Wonders in the Weave series, a Tier 5–9 two-part arc introducing characters to the Hao Jin Tapestry, the private demiplane the Society won as part of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament at the season’s halfway point. In this series, we tried something new with the mutliparters: we provided a boon at the end of the first installment, The Dog Pharaoh’s Tomb that grants no inherent bonuses. But having this boon on the Chronicle sheet immediately preceding the second chapter in the series, Snakes in the Fold allowed characters to earn a second boon that is only awarded for those PCs playing the story in order and without interruption between.

That method worked okay, but we still felt there was room for improvement. So with the release of last month’s Tier 7–11 scenario, Pathfinder Society Scenario #3–20: The Rats of Round Mountain, Part I: The Sundered Path, we had a chance to try a different tack with multipart boons. We were further motivated to push the envelope by the specific circumstances of this mini-arc’s plot: the PCs travel to the center of a hollow mountain in Part I, and then venture into a ratfolk stronghold within the mountain in Part II. It didn’t make sense for PCs to make a long trek, then magically be outside the mountain and even back on the Material Plane doing other adventures, partaking in a Day Job, or even buying equipment, then suddenly be back in the middle of the mountain at the start of the next adventure. If it were so easy to get back and forth from the mountain’s center to Absalom, why did they need to journey there on foot in Part I?

The solution we came up with is this: at the end of The Sundered Path, PCs are given a choice to remain there, forgoing the ability to purchase equipment or spellcasting services, make Day Job checks, or participate in other scenarios, or to hand-wave their characters’ continuity but sacrifice their ability to get a larger boon as a reward for playing the two scenarios back-to-back. Since PCs inside Round Mountain who choose the former are assumed to have been there continually before the start of Part II, Pagoda of the Rat, they won’t receive a faction handout for the scenario, and only need to complete a faction mission if they want to; players doing both scenarios continuously will automatically receive full prestige for the second part of the series. What the other benefits of sticking it out are, I’m going to keep under my hat, but I think folks will be pleased with the rewards.

Pathfinder Society in Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia (or South Eastern Europe Calling) Monday, May 7, 2012Last month, we highlighted Denmark and Venture-Captain Diego Winterborg's efforts to grow Pathfinder Society there. We now shift our focus to southeast Europe. Venture-Captain Zrinka Znidarcic's report on Pathfinder Society in Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia was a very interesting read for me and I hope all of you find it interesting as well. It is interesting being a Venture-Captain of the...

Last month, we highlighted Denmark and Venture-Captain Diego Winterborg's efforts to grow Pathfinder Society there. We now shift our focus to southeast Europe. Venture-Captain Zrinka Znidarcic's report on Pathfinder Society in Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia was a very interesting read for me and I hope all of you find it interesting as well.

It is interesting being a Venture-Captain of the only multinational region that encompasses three different countries (one of them being in the European Union). But, here we are, after barely 9 months of Pathfinder Society presence and it's already been a wild ride. From what I can tell, this presence promises to continue and grow.

Geographically speaking, Croatia is a small sliver of a country squished between Slovenia to the northwest and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast. The capital of Croatia is Zagreb and this is the home base for Pathfinder Society in the tri-country region.

It all started like anywhere else—with a home group and an overeager GM. I started gaming in 1996. After many years of playing, graduating from the university, moving back home, and trying to find somebody to GM fantasy roleplaying games, I learned that the only way to make anything happen game-wise was to go ahead and do it (contrary to my usual disposition). I started my GMing career in 2003, and as soon as Pathfinder Roleplaying Game appeared, we switched all the characters and never looked back, going on to play Pathfinder Adventure Paths (which we still do to this day).

At the time, Croatian fantasy fandom had just two significant gaming conventions—Sferakon (the oldest Croatian convention established in 1979) and Istrakon (established in 2000). At some point, Sferakon had organized RPG events, but none since 2002. Most people were quite happy with having home groups and there was little organized public play.

With only two gaming stores that didn't do so well—one closing its business and the other changing owners a few times and giving up on ordering RPG books—there was no local support for RPGs.

The region didn't fare well either. Our northern neighbor, Slovenia, organized several gaming conventions that didn't really take root and the fandom had retreated mostly into individual home groups. Bosnia and Herzegovina is still an unconquered land with almost no RPG players I am aware of (please email me if you live there and are interested in organizing Pathfinder Society).

But, several things happened. A lecture on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game at Istrakon 2010, followed by two tables of demo scenarios, gained traction and interest and we had a fair number of interested players at Istrakon 2011. At the end of August, my Venture-Lieutenant, Maja Skvorc, and I announced the first PFS event in the only friendly local gaming store, Carta Magica. We just wanted to see what would happen. With over 20 people showing it for that first game day, it was clear there was a real interest for the Pathfinder RPG and Pathfinder Society in Zagreb.

Currently using Carta Magica as the base for regular weekly sessions, we now count on three tables (generally 12–16 players) on regular basis. Higher-level characters are still a small minority so we've just started scheduling one table for them. With the fluctuation of players, we already have more than 70 people signed up on Warhorn.net for our scheduled events. It is also interesting to note that most players are in their mid-twenties and younger, and among the GMs, we have both experienced and new ones. In fact, several of the most active GMs started playing tabletop roleplaying games initially with Pathfinder Society.

Meanwhile, in Zagreb, a group formed in 2011 called SRP (Section for Roleplay) founded by Ana Rajner and Bozo Spoljaric. This was the first such group dedicated to roleplaying games of all kinds (tabletop and LARPs) with the goal of promoting and enabling play. Besides regular lecture-a-week (Pathfinder RPG was their first), they also started organizing Game Days every 2 to 3 months. This is where Croatian Pathfinder Society attracts the largest numbers of players. So far, we have hosted three such events and we see promise of even greater growth.

Another association is being established as we speak at Igranje.org. They not only have tabletop games as primary interest, but will also be able to provide completely free venue for Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

It is really amazing to watch how tabletop gaming has emerged in Croatia during the last year, and hopefully this is just the beginning.

Istrakon 2012 featured the first multiplayer session, Year of the Shadow Lodge, and was the first big convention with a strong organized play presence. With 12 tables in 2 days, it was a great success.

This year, Sferakon was the host of Eurocon 2012 on April 26–29. Being mostly a literary convention, never known for any significant gaming program, it was a great start for Pathfinder Society at the oldest Croatian convention. Most importantly, a group of Slovenian players were present all 3 days. They are more than willing to start growing Pathfinder Society in Slovenia and we're already making plans for the first Pathfinder Society event there.

The future looks bright and interest in the game keeps growing as more people are coming back to the hobby. Two new regional conventions have been announced, one in Sarajevo this summer and one in Slovenia this November, and that will be an excellent chance to start increasing Pathfinder Society outside our home base.

In the end I want to send a huge thank you to all the GMs for their hard work, to all the players who are the lifeblood of Pathfinder Society, and all the organizers who give us the support to share the hobby we all love. I want to especially thank Mike for having the faith in us and giving this weird little region a chance.

If you are in another country and do not have a Venture-Captain, but think you can do as good a job as Zrinka did above, please do not hesitate to send me a write-up about Pathfinder Society play in your area of the world and include some photos.

Introducing the Year of the Risen Rune

Apr 30, 2012, 10:00 AM

Introducing the Year of the Risen Rune Monday, April 30, 2012I took a break from the Gen Con push today to write this blog post, and my mind started to wander. I thought a bit about days gone by and how last year at this time we were under just as much pressure trying to get Ultimate Combat off to the presses in time. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Anyway, I also thought to myself, Self, what sort of blog were you writing this time last year? ... Aha! myself answered. I...

Introducing the Year of the Risen Rune

Monday, April 30, 2012

I took a break from the Gen Con push today to write this blog post, and my mind started to wander. I thought a bit about days gone by and how last year at this time we were under just as much pressure trying to get Ultimate Combat off to the presses in time. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Anyway, I also thought to myself, "Self, what sort of blog were you writing this time last year?"

"Aha!" myself answered. "I can do a search and find out!"

Now, those of you who've been following our Monday Pathfinder Society blog posts for a while likely remember this time in spring 2011, when we had a very lengthy series of posts covering "The Future of Pathfinder Society Organized Play." In fact, that series was when we started doing weekly posts and claimed Monday as our own special day of the week. So I checked back to Part VII of that series from May 2. And lo and behold, that was when we announced the title of the current season, the Year of the Ruby Phoenix.

"Self, you should do the same thing for Season 4 in your blog post for Monday," I said. And it seemed a reasonable suggestion, so I agreed.

Season 4 of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign will be entitled Year of the Risen Rune. The focus of the season is going to be the Pathfinder Society's burgeoning lodge in the Varisian city of Magnimar—the focal point of the forthcoming Shattered Star Adventure Path, which also debuts at Gen Con 2012. While that Adventure Path won't be sanctioned for Pathfinder Society credit and won't use the faction system we have in the organized play campaign, there will be a lot of overlap between the Adventure Path and the Pathfinder Society campaign. So whatever campaign you play, you'll have lots of options for exploring the untamed frontier region of Varisia and the ancient Thassilonian ruins located there.

We'll have a lot more information about both the Shattered Star Adventure Path and the Year of the Risen Rune in the coming months, but until we get closer to the launch of these exciting adventures, check out the venture-captain who Pathfinder players of all ilks are likely to get to know very well—Sheila Heidmarch—and the Pathfinder Society season's shiny new logo.

Sheila Heidmarch Illustration by Kieran Yanner

The Year of the Risen Rune and the Shattered Star Adventure Path both launch at Gen Con 2012 this August!

Remembering Season 2 and the Assignment of New Venture-Captains

Apr 23, 2012, 12:00 PM

Remembering Season 2 and the Assignment of New Venture-Captains Monday, April 23, 2012 ... Illustration by Ryan PortilloOne of my top goals from day one has been to see a facelift to the Pathfinder Society home page, and the creation of various sub-pages that will link to it. Though I can’t provide much details of what the final results will look like yet, I can say that one of the areas it will include is a section on the history of Pathfinder Society Organized Play. ... It is important that...

Remembering Season 2 and the Assignment of New Venture-Captains

One of my top goals from day one has been to see a facelift to the Pathfinder Society home page, and the creation of various sub-pages that will link to it. Though I can’t provide much details of what the final results will look like yet, I can say that one of the areas it will include is a section on the history of Pathfinder Society Organized Play.

It is important that new players can join the Society at any time and look back at what has happened in regard to the storyline from previous seasons. At the same time, veteran players will be able reflect back on what happened during a season they participated in. This is especially true as we move forward with the revamp of faction missions and season-long faction goals having lasting effects on future storylines, the viability of the factions’ existences, and rewards that characters in certain factions can earn. The first goal to accomplish this was a recap of Season Two, Year of the Shadow Lodge.

I met with Wolfgang Baur at Neon Con last November to discuss how we could get more Pathfinder, specifically Pathfinder Society, into Kobold Quarterly. When I pitched the idea of a Season Two recap in the spring issue, KQ #21, he seemed excited. I reached out to Nicholas Gray, a very devoted player I knew from my days in Atlanta, and he agreed to write up a summation that included the major plot points from the scenarios that revolved around the Shadow Lodge insurgency. Once the summer issue of Kobold Quarterly is released, and the new Pathfinder Society home page goes live, this article will also appear on the history section. A big thank you goes out to both Wolfgang and Nick for making the idea become a reality. You will also be able to find a recap of Season 3, Year of the Ruby Phoenix, shortly after Gen Con on the same page.

Switching focus from the history of Pathfinder Society to the future, in the past 4 to 6 weeks, I have assigned six new Venture-Captains to the Society to help grow PFS in their regions. Some were announced on the messageboards. Others have recently been assigned. Regardless, I wanted to write a few words to make sure they receive the recognition and thanks they deserve for stepping up and taking the reigns of PFS in their regions.

The two newest Venture-Captains to be assigned are James Engle in Cleveland, Ohio and James Hebert in New Orleans, LA.

James Engle will not only will be focusing his efforts on the Cleveland area, but he will also be helping coordinate the growth of Pathfinder Society in Canton and Akron as well. He advised me during his interview process that he would help out Toledo if there were a need.

James Hebert will expand outside of New Orleans and reach out to Lafayette and Lake Charles to the west, and Biloxi, Mississippi to the east. He also advised a trip to Baton Rouge may not be out of the question if there were interested stores or players looking to set establish games as well. Although it nearly killed me to put a Saints fan into a Venture-Captain position, I have faith that James can rise above the normal expectations of Saints fans and do a good job with Pathfinder Society. ;-)

We also added Michael McNerney in Columbus, Ohio, Karim Majeri in Paris, France, and Daniel Luckett in Western Michigan. Finally, we promoted Venture-Lieutenant Clint Blome to full Venture-Captain status of the Omaha, Nebraska region.

You have my thanks, and I’m sure the appreciation of your local players, for all of your efforts in coordinating Pathfinder Society.

A Dedicated Follower of Factions

Apr 16, 2012, 10:00 AM

A Dedicated Follower of Factions Monday, April 16, 2012 One of the defining characteristics of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign that separates it from other organized play programs is the faction system. A few weeks ago, Paizo Publisher Erik Mona, Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock, and I spent an obscene amount of time in a few very long meetings really digging into factions to determine what worked with their current implementation, what was lacking, and how we could improve...

A Dedicated Follower of Factions

Monday, April 16, 2012

One of the defining characteristics of the Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign that separates it from other organized play programs is the faction system. A few weeks ago, Paizo Publisher Erik Mona, Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock, and I spent an obscene amount of time in a few very long meetings really digging into factions to determine what worked with their current implementation, what was lacking, and how we could improve them, and in doing so improve the quality of the Pathfinder Society campaign as a whole. We came up with a lot of great ideas, and Mike and I have hinted at them in recent weeks on the messageboards. Well, today I'm going to pull back the curtain a little bit and reveal a few of the changes we have in store in a bit more detail.

First, starting in Season 4, all 10 factions will have a specific goal they hope to achieve over the course of the year. In general, we'll be moving away from the original metaplot of the factions vying for control of Absalom, as the campaign has expanded to incorporate the entire Inner Sea region to a much larger extent than was anticipated in Season 0. These goals will be clear and will be disseminated to all members of a given faction by the faction heads at the start of the season. Make sure all your Pathfinder Society characters are registered on paizo.com and that your email address and privacy settings are updated before August so you'll be sure to get any missives your faction leader may send. All Pathfinder Society scenario designers will receive an overview of the factions' plans in order to incorporate opportunities to achieve these goals into their respective scenarios.

Note that I said opportunities and not missions? Faction missions aren't going away, and you'll still get faction missives from your faction head at the start of a scenario. But except in specific cases where necessitated by the circumstances, faction missions won't just be a specific skill check you need to make or else fail the faction mission. They'll be more general, and tied to the overall faction goal for the season. While we'll make sure there's an opportunity presented in each scenario for members of each faction to put forward their factions' goals (and any specific tasks suggested in the scenario's faction handouts), we'll also be allowing for more player creativity.

For example, Andoran's goal for a season (and this isn't their goal next season) might be to bring slavers to justice. In a particular scenario, the PCs may encounter a merchant in Osirion whom they can discover has ties to slavers. Andoran faction PCs who discover this can then deal with the guy as they see fit, or if they miss this clue, they can use their time in the markets in a later encounter to put together a list of slavers operating out in the open in the markets of Sothis. In both cases, the PCs are helping their faction toward the overall season goal, and while we will present an opportunity to do so without the need to go off the rails, PCs will be rewarded for taking the initiative and going beyond these suggestions.

Another hot topic of discussion has been the so-called "faction war," in which each faction competes with the rest to be the winner of a given season. We're revising this faction-versus-faction paradigm, instead measuring each faction's success against its own goals to achieve varying degrees of success. Thus, a faction whose members get all their possible prestige in a given season achieve 100% success, and the results of their actions will play out in the ongoing, unfolding plot of the campaign. Similarly, a faction that struggles a bit and only gets 80% of its potential prestige might not achieve its ultimate goal but will certainly see the results of its many successes. Finally, a faction that only reaches the lowest threshold of success might see in-world consequences of its failures, which may determine the faction's goals the following season (perhaps calling into question the faction's very existence).

We've got some pretty deep and (we think) fun plots developing for all 10 factions, and the authors of our four Gen Con scenarios are already working to incorporate those threads into their adventures. Stay tuned this summer for more information from your faction heads about what your PCs are going to be working toward in the next year.

Pathfinder Society in Denmark (or Tidings from the Viking Lodge)

Apr 9, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society in Denmark (or Tidings from the Viking Lodge) Monday, April 9, 2012 ... Illustration by J.P. TargeteLast month, we highlighted the UK and Venture-Captain David Harrison's efforts to grow Pathfinder Society there. We now shift our focus to the north and the land of the Vikings. Venture-Captain Diego Winterborg's report on Pathfinder Society in Denmark was a very interesting read for me and I hope all of you find it informative as well. ... Denmark is a Scandinavian country...

Pathfinder Society in Denmark (or Tidings from the Viking Lodge)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Illustration by J.P. Targete

Last month, we highlighted the UK and Venture-Captain David Harrison's efforts to grow Pathfinder Society there. We now shift our focus to the north and the land of the Vikings. Venture-Captain Diego Winterborg's report on Pathfinder Society in Denmark was a very interesting read for me and I hope all of you find it informative as well.

Denmark is a Scandinavian country made up of a peninsula that is geographically joined to Northern Germany, called Jutland, and a large number of islands southwest of Sweden, the largest of which are Funen and Zealand. Its size and population are roughly the equivalent of Tennessee. Greenland and the Faroe Islands are part of the Danish Rigsfællesskab, or Commonwealth.

The Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign made its arrival in Denmark in February 2010 when a few friends and I went to a small RPG convention in the town of Odense. Danish RPG conventions are, by their nature, rather small events, and are largely dominated by indie games and a lot of deep-immersion, psychodrama players, so it goes without saying that we made quite an impression with our loud combat-heavy, dice-rolling RPG, which we ran in the convention's common area, for all to see. While we fully expected a lot of people would be provoked by our very different approach to gaming, it gave us an excellent opportunity to engage them in a discussion about the merits of “our game.” By the end of the convention, what started out as a four-man event had drawn in a score of new players and totaled some 10 sessions.

During the summer of 2010, we arranged a game day in honor of then Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator, Joshua J. Frost, who was making Copenhagen his first stop on his European tour. His tour culminated at Paizo Con UK that year. Frost was very keen on having a solid PFS presence in Europe, and in Denmark I volunteered for the position of regional coordinator. That is how Denmark, being a small country by most standards, was fortunate enough to be assigned a Venture-Captain with the first round of selections, when the program was born in the fall of 2010.

Early in the fall of 2010, the first game days were planned at the game store, Fantask, in Copenhagen. While the venue is very small and only allows for a single session every other weekend, it has been very reliable and has been a constant for over a year.

Pathfinder Society has since had annual representation in Denmark's two largest gaming conventions, Viking Con and Fastaval, as well as other smaller conventions and game days in and around Copenhagen.

This winter Jacob Trier, who had just recovered from serious illness, volunteered for the position as Venture-Lieutenant based in Jutland. This addition will ensure a stronger presence in the western half of Denmark. By next month, regular store games are expected to start in Dragon's Lair in the city of Aarhus and this year's Fastaval convention will have a locally based Pathfinder Society coordinator.

In 2011, Viking Con and Fastaval had nine Pathfinder Society tables each. This was satisfactory as a very small core of players and GMs drove our continued interest in Pathfinder. This year, however, we are seeing the emergence of more private gaming groups and expect to have a growing GM base for 2012's events.

Spilfestival, on March 24, features Blood under Absalom as its highlighted event. This marks a milestone for the Pathfinder Society in Denmark as it is the first time a Pathfinder Society multi-table special will be run here.

Fastaval, April 4–8: Danish Pathfinder players will get their first opportunity to play the Season 3 exclusive, The Cyphermage Dilemma. We have 15 tables scheduled over the four days.

Viking Lodge Game Days are planned for July 28–29. Started in 2010, this is fast becoming a Danish tradition. The plans for this event are still in the planning stages. Participants can count on being among a good number of Paizo fans and having a full day of Pathfinder Society games, followed by a night out in Copenhagen afterward.

Viking Con 31, October 19—21, is Denmark's largest gaming convention and we will certainly have something special to offer to Pathfinder Society players.

Danish Pathfinder Society events are also receiving a measure of Paizo convention support, which hopefully will increase interest and send a strong signal that Paizo pays attention to its international fans.

To facilitate continued growth of Pathfinder Society, we are making plans with public libraries to start having monthly game days. The success of this plan is still dependant on GMs volunteering to run games. Initially, I am planning game days in Copenhagen libraries only. But, the public library network in Denmark is rather extensive and Pathfinder Society has the potential to reach veritably every Danish roleplayer interested in participating in an organized play campaign.

This brings me to one of my most important points about roleplaying in Denmark. The RPGA and Living Greyhawk never established themselves in our country, and the very concept of an organized play campaign is very new to Danish gamers. According to my friendly local gaming store, Pathfinder RPG sales are increasing, and continued convention scheduling and internet exposition is bound to draw players into the fold one handful at a time. While events to date remain small, we always know we will be among friends as we strive to continue increasing our numbers.

If you live in Denmark or Southern Sweden and are interested in trying out Pathfinder Society Organized Play, you can keep up with our growing community on our website, pathfindersociety.dk. Danish convention organizers and store owners interested in hosting Pathfinder Society events should contact me at pathfinder.society@live.dk.

Diego WinterborgVenture-Captain

If you are in another country and do not have a Venture-Captain, but think you can do as good a job as Diego did above, please do not hesitate to send me a write-up about Pathfinder Society play in your area of the world and include some photos.

Conquest Day

Apr 2, 2012, 10:00 AM

Conquest Day Monday, April 2, 2012 ... Illustration by Dave RapozaI almost lined this holiday boon up perfectly with its in-game date and real-world date. When I realized it was my 6-month anniversary (wow, time flies), I was torn. What better way to celebrate than to help Pathfinders fight undead? But I felt my state of PFS blog was slightly more important, so I delayed this holiday blog for a week. ... Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider wrote the description below of Conquest Day, and...

Conquest Day

Monday, April 2, 2012

Illustration by Dave Rapoza

I almost lined this holiday boon up perfectly with its in-game date and real-world date. When I realized it was my 6-month anniversary (wow, time flies), I was torn. What better way to celebrate than to help Pathfinders fight undead? But I felt my state of PFS blog was slightly more important, so I delayed this holiday blog for a week.

Managing Editor F. Wesley Schneider wrote the description below of Conquest Day, and where you’ll also find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character. Conquest Day is mentioned on page 248 of The Inner Sea World Guide.

Every year, on the 26th of Pharast, Elder Architect Oblosk—oldest member of Nex’s Council of Three and Nine—ascends to the highest balconies of the Bandeshar in Quantium. In a voice made thunderous by the platform’s magic, the wizened pech councilman spends the hours from dusk to just past noon enumerating the atrocities committed by the necromancers of Geb upon the people of Nex, culminating with the disappearance of the archwizard Nex himself. At the conclusion of this record of national wounds, the country’s eleven other council members join Oblosk in renewing their yearly vow to neither forget nor forgive the Gebbites’ atrocities and to again swear in their lost ruler’s name to endlessly wage war against their ancient enemies.

On this day, known as Conquest Day, all the people of Nex are expected to share in their leaders’ oaths, to celebrate the shared patriotism of their wondrous nation, and to remember the sacrifices of heroes past. This also makes it a day for many Nexian wizards to reveal deadly new spells, gigantic constructs, and audacious arcane masterworks—which many creators promise to be the doom of their foes. Even throughout the rest of the Inner Sea region, many crusaders, rebels, and zealots observe Conquest Day as a day to renew blood oaths, launch long-planned battles, and finally take revenge. It is a day for words of honor, a day for battle cries, and a day where glory most favors the bold.

A bit dreary with all the talk of battles and undead and disappearing archwizards and the like, but hey, at least it is better than Taxfest (and yes, that’s also on page 248).

Mid-year Report of the Pathfinder Society Campaign

Mar 26, 2012, 10:00 AM

Mid-year Report of the Pathfinder Society Campaign Monday, March 26, 2012 ... Illustration by Eva WidermannToday is my six-month anniversary at Paizo. The time has flown since September 26, 2011. Usually, State of the Union/State/County/City addresses are given on an annual basis. In the future, I will most likely present this report at the yearly Pathfinder Society Members’ Meeting at Gen Con. However, this being my first year and with all the changes that have taken place, and in light of...

Mid-year Report of the Pathfinder Society Campaign

Monday, March 26, 2012

Illustration by Eva Widermann

Today is my six-month anniversary at Paizo. The time has flown since September 26, 2011. Usually, State of the Union/State/County/City addresses are given on an annual basis. In the future, I will most likely present this report at the yearly Pathfinder Society Members’ Meeting at Gen Con. However, this being my first year and with all the changes that have taken place, and in light of the goals set for the future, I thought it was important to give a report of how my first six months on the job have played out.

First and most importantly, I want to thank all of the Venture-Captains and Lieutenants, regional and convention coordinators, GMs, and people I use as a sounding board (you know who you are). Without all of you, I would not be able to achieve everything listed below and make Pathfinder Society as great as it is. I also want to thank all of our players and fans. Without you, I wouldn’t have an awesome job to come to each morning. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your efforts and support.

The Pathfinder Society Organized Play campaign has already seen numerous positive improvements and changes. Here is a short list of things we’ve accomplished together in just six months:

We've addressed our leadership, our organization, our ground game, and our rules. And we couldn't have done any of it without all of you.

All that is great, but it's not enough. We're not done yet (which means that we all have more work to do). I'm excited about the future of the Society. In particular, the following items on my now-less-than-secret list excite me:

The Grand Convocation interactive will return at PaizoCon 2012.

A second, competitive round has been added to the Pathfinder Society Special at Gen Con 2012.

The last six months have been a great learning experience for me. I continue to transition from a regional coordinator mindset to one of a global campaign administrator. There have been some bumps in the road, but nothing that has proven insurmountable. I already knew that the Pathfinder Society community is smart, diverse, and very passionate. It is amazing how much energy and enthusiasm you all have for the game and it is very inspiring. Likewise, the people here at Paizo are some of the most creative and different-thinking people I've ever met. It's as amazing as you'd think it would be.

I will finish by letting everyone know that I will continue to do the best job I can to grow and improve the Pathfinder Society campaign. Sometimes I will make mistakes. But, when I do make a mistake, I will own up to it. As always, I am available for all of you to reach out to me with concerns, criticisms, thoughts, suggestions, venting, and ideas via email, private message, Skype, phone call, an in-person visit, carrier pigeon, written letter, message spell, pony express, contact other plane spell, or sending spell.

Six Sells

Mar 12, 2012, 10:00 AM

Six Sells Monday, March 12, 2012 ... Illustration by Yngvar AsplundOne of the largest benefits of working as developer on a shared-world campaign like Pathfinder Society Organized Play is having the ability to gather data about how the community uses our products and improve them based on that data. In addition to the extremely helpful Pathfinder Society messageboards, where Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock and I can interact directly with some of our most active and engaged GMs and players,...

Six Sells

Monday, March 12, 2012

Illustration by Yngvar Asplund

One of the largest benefits of working as developer on a shared-world campaign like Pathfinder Society Organized Play is having the ability to gather data about how the community uses our products and improve them based on that data. In addition to the extremely helpful Pathfinder Society messageboards, where Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock and I can interact directly with some of our most active and engaged GMs and players, we also have the benefit of looking at literally thousands of tables’ worth of reported session data entered by GMs and event coordinators. This goldmine of information lets us keep a close eye on campaign trends, such as what level scenarios are most often played, which are particularly deadly, and what factions have a higher rate of success in their respective missions. When combined, the synergy of objective data from session reports and subjective feedback from the messageboards, direct email and personal interaction with players and GMs, and a mixture of the two from our growing network of volunteer regional coordinators is nearly unmatched, at least compared to the level of feedback we can get on our other product lines.

About this time last year, prompted by community feedback, I started looking closely at the average size of tables in Pathfinder Society games. Specifically, I was looking at what percentage of reported sessions were played by six or more PCs. The evidence was staggering. While seven-person tables are a relative rarity (as they should be), six-person tables are undoubtedly the norm in Pathfinder Society Organized Play. So I took that data and let it simmer for a while as I continued my routine development tasks.

A few months ago, in a conversation with Mike and a few other members of the editorial team, we were bouncing around the idea of giving GMs a little bit more power to scale adventures to accommodate parties of different sizes. Coming up with a means for GMs to scale encounters up proved incredibly difficult, and there wasn’t an elegant or easily implemented solution. But putting in guidelines for scaling encounters down was much easier.

Thus, beginning in Season 4, all Pathfinder Society scenarios will be designed with six PCs in mind, effectively increasing the CR of all encounters to accommodate larger parties. Each adventure will provide specific changes to apply for parties of four PCs, maintaining consistency in how the scenarios are altered, but giving a bit more latitude to account for table variance. Because five- and seven-person tables are both reasonably equipped to handle a six-person challenge, tables of both sizes should be run without any changes.

So that’s the plan! In true Pathfinder Society fashion, however, we’re eager to hear what the community thinks, so be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below! And because we like you all so much, here’s a piece of art from the recently released Pathfinder Society Exclusive Scenario: The Cyphermage Dilemma, which your local regional coordinator or 4- or 5-star GM can run for you.

Pathfinder Society in the UK (How the Brit Faction Earns Prestige)

Mar 5, 2012, 10:00 AM

Pathfinder Society in the UK (How the Brit Faction Earns Prestige) Monday, March 5, 2012 ... Illustration by Ben WoottenLike many of the Pathfinder Society player base, most of my experiences and understanding of Pathfinder Society Organized Play is based on what I have seen, experienced and organized in the United States. However, the campaign and player base is a worldwide network. What I have learned since stepping into the Campaign Coordinator role is that Pathfinder Society experiences...

Pathfinder Society in the UK (How the Brit Faction Earns Prestige)

Monday, March 5, 2012

Illustration by Ben Wootten

Like many of the Pathfinder Society player base, most of my experiences and understanding of Pathfinder Society Organized Play is based on what I have seen, experienced and organized in the United States. However, the campaign and player base is a worldwide network. What I have learned since stepping into the Campaign Coordinator role is that Pathfinder Society experiences can be varying and different in other parts of the world, including Canada. This includes the way game days and conventions are organized, the expectations of the campaign’s past, current, and future scenarios, and the direction the campaign should move toward.

I think one of the most important responsibilities of a Campaign Coordinator is trying to understand the make-up of the entire fan base, not just the largest percentage of the players. I also think the campaign can be better served if all of us have a better understanding of how our fellow gamers participate, promote, and try to grow Pathfinder Society in their own regions of the world.

With that in mind, I plan to devote one blog a month to a different region where there is an active Pathfinder Society presence. I have tasked my international Venture-Captains with sending me a write-up of what Pathfinder Society is like in their part of the world. Most of what you will read is in their own words. There may be some slight editing changes, but by and large, what you will be reading is the Venture-Captain’s perspective on what Pathfinder Society is like under their guidance in their region.

I hope all of you will find the articles as interesting and informative as I do. First up is the United Kingdom under the direction of Venture-Captain Dave Harrison and Venture-Lieutenant Rob Silk. I plan to attend Paizo Con UK this year, and am excited to get an insight into what I can expect when I arrive in mid-July (and no, I do not fear the curse). Without further ado, I present Dave Harrison’s report on Pathfinder Society in the United Kingdom.

The Pathfinder Society is global, not just on Golarion but also in our world! While it has its origins in the United States, it has been active in the UK since its inception. And so, I’ve been asked to introduce you all to Pathfinder Society play in the UK.

Who am I to talk about this? My name is Dave Harrison, also known online as Wintergreen, and after being a GM and playing roleplaying games for far too long, I’m a self-confessed Paizo addict who has somehow become the UK Venture-Captain. Of course, it’s not just me over here. I’ve lost count of the many players and GMs we’ve recruited over the last few years. Oh, that’s not a royal “we” by the way. I’m also including my co-conspirator and Venture-Lieutenant, Rob Silk, in all of this. (Make sure you pronounce Lieutenant the British way too!)

Pathfinder and Paizo itself have always been popular here in the UK. When Paizo staff members have come over from the US, we have made sure they have felt very welcome despite any differences in the roleplaying cultures—two countries separated by a common hobby?

The Pathfinder Society was officially launched in the UK at Gen Con UK 2008 with a contingent of Paizo staff and that was an immediate success. Pathfinder Society games were sold out and everybody was talking about the quality of the scenarios. From that, I managed to talk my way into helping organize GMs and games at several conventions. Flush with success, I did something that might be called foolish, and has certainly influenced my life! I asked, on the Paizo messageboards, if there was any interest in a UK-based Pathfinder Society convention—our very own version of PaizoCon. The answer was positive and, somehow, one of the most disorganized of roleplayers found himself setting up a new convention. Thankfully, with the help of a lucky Bluff roll, I managed to talk a few other people into helping me!

So the first PaizoCon UK ran in July 2009 at Aston University’s Business School & Conference Centre. I’ll admit, even on that Saturday morning, I was worrying that nobody would turn up and I’d be sitting alone in a large room for the whole weekend.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Over fifty people attended, including special guests such as our PaizoCon UK regular Richard Pett, some awesome GMs, and a fantastically keen group of players. Our only missing element was that Nick Logue, then Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator, couldn’t attend. Even so, by the end of the Sunday, people were already talking about how it would go next year! Even before I finished asking about doing another one, I heard a resounding “YES!”

The next year we had over 70 people attending, including Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator Joshua Frost, and we were given the opportunity to playtest the Year of the Shadow Lodge event. We also have a tradition of a Friday Night Balti meal to get everybody socializing at the start of the convention. Thankfully the waiters don’t bat an eyelid when we ask for a table for everybody.

By 2011, we had grown to over 100 people gaming across three different rooms in the conference center. Although one special guest, Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator Hyrum Savage, had to drop out at the last minute, we still held the Grand Melee where our high-level team “Szallus’ Mighty Taldan Beard” won through with a world-beating score. We concluded the convention with Shadow’s Last Stand, bringing the Year of the Shadow Lodge to a satisfactory conclusion.

This year, we will once again be at Aston University on the 21st and 22nd of July, with a host of almost 150 delegates and special guests, including Richard Pett, Eva Widermann, and many European Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants, and Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator Mike Brock is braving the rumored curse to help us with an Olympic Class PaizoCon UK. Full details can be found on our website at www.paizocon.co.uk.

PaizoCon UK is our flagship, the Pathfinder Society convention for the UK, but it is far from the only event we attend (some might say dominate when the Pathfinders are noisily adventuring) in the UK. I have made efforts to ensure Pathfinder Society is represented at other major UK conventions, particularly Conception, the UK Games Expo, Oddcon, and Dragonmeet. Pathfinders turn up at many smaller conventions, fan-organized events, and regular games held at clubs, societies, and players’ homes.

So what do we have planned for Pathfinder Society in the UK?

Certainly we continue to grow—particularly into other parts of the UK besides England. Plans are in motion for a PaizoCon Wales, and Scotland and Ireland have growing numbers of Pathfinders. I am constantly recruiting GMs, more people willing to do my job for me by running and organizing games at conventions. We have more and more special events planned as well. Details will be disclosed at a future date.

While the UK lacks the US tradition of games being run in stores, such events are something I am working on. A few such events have already taken place and, inspired by the Beginner Box Bash event, we are planning a “Learn to Play Pathfinder” day at the Sheffield store Patriot Games on March 31st.

I am very proud to say that here in the UK the Pathfinder Society has established an excellent reputation for roleplaying, quality adventures, and skilled GMs. Convention organizers invite us to their events where we are consistently over-subscribed. Most of all, I am happy to report that when players are talking, I hear descriptions of heroic deeds, intriguing personalities, and thrilling adventures—exactly what gets reported in the Pathfinder Chronicles!

Dave HarrisonVenture-Captain

And there you have it, our first international Pathfinder Society blog. If you are in another country and do not have a Venture-Captain, but think you can do as good a job as Dave did above, please do not hesitate to send me a write-up about Pathfinder Society play in your area of the world and include some photos.

Gen Con 2012 and Official Call for Volunteers!—Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Feb 27, 2012, 10:00 AM

Gen Con 2012 and Official Call for Volunteers! Monday, February 27, 2012 ... Illustration by Kevin YanFor Gen Con 2012, we plan to make this the biggest and best Gen Con yet! I am scheduling 750 tables of Pathfinder Society over the four days. We are also bringing the GM 101 workshops that debuted at Paizo Con (and were discussed in last Monday’s blog) to Gen Con. They will hopefully be a hit and draw in new players and GMs to Pathfinder Society, as well as make active Pathfinder Society...

Gen Con 2012 and Official Call for Volunteers!

Monday, February 27, 2012

Illustration by Kevin Yan

For Gen Con 2012, we plan to make this the biggest and best Gen Con yet! I am scheduling 750 tables of Pathfinder Society over the four days. We are also bringing the GM 101 workshops that debuted at Paizo Con (and were discussed in last Monday’s blog) to Gen Con. They will hopefully be a hit and draw in new players and GMs to Pathfinder Society, as well as make active Pathfinder Society players take the next step and help to GM in their home regions.

We will be hosting Pathfinder RPG Beginner Box Introductions. During nine of the 10 slots at Gen Con, we are setting aside four tables at each slot for these events. These are scheduled with new players in mind. The first 45–60 minutes will be exploring the contents of the Beginner Box, explaining the rules, and reviewing the pregenerated characters. The final 4 hours of each slot will be playing through the four 1-hour adventures that were offered during the Beginner Box Bash.

In addition, we are adding a Pathfinder Kid’s Track to our gaming area. We are focusing on players aged 6–12 and we will be using the Beginner Box for this as well. Each Kid’s Track slot will be 2 hours long and each player will receive a check-off card, very similar to what was used at the Beginner Box Bash. The first hour teaches roleplaying and rules and reviews the pregenerated characters found in the Beginner Box. During the second hour, one of the four 1-hour adventures used during the Beginner Box Bash will be played. We will be restricting tables to four children players and are requiring a parent or guardian be present with each child (or multiple children if they have two or more interested in participating) for the entire 2 hours. The parent or guardian will assist the child when needed. But, we want to make this a good and memorable experience for the kids that attend Gen Con, who often find little they can participate in, especially with others their own age. We will be scheduling eight slots per day for the Kid’s Track. However, we are only scheduling one adventure each day. If a child comes back and plays a different adventure each of the 4 days, he will be able to present his check-off card and receive a special certificate. We may also have other giveaways or special prizes. I will be very picky when choosing volunteer GMs for the Kid’s Track. I prefer to have schoolteachers and other professionals with experience dealing with children, but I will consider GMs who are parents even if they do not deal with children regularly in their profession. If you are volunteering to GM the Kid’s Track, please make sure to include all of your credentials. Also, since these are scheduled as 2-hour blocks, a GM will be required to run two Kid’s Track slots back to back in a 4-hour block to count as one slot of credit toward GM rewards.

Finally, we are adding an invitation-only second round to the Gen Con Special: Race for the Runecarved Key! The first round will be what you have come to know and love as the Pathfinder Special. It will be 75 tables all working together to overcome some nasty problem the Decemvirate wants dealt with. However, the change this year is that we are adding a special, secret scoring system. The top three tables from each tier will advance to the invitation-only second round.

This second round will be one of the deadliest dungeons ever explored by the Pathfinder Society, and only the very best of the organization’s agents even have a chance of surviving. Again, let me emphasize—this will be a true and deadly test of the Pathfinder Society’s best teams. It is almost a guarantee some Pathfinders will die. Make sure to bring your A-game. The first round will be made available to qualifying conventions worldwide after Gen Con 2012 as it is every year. However, the second round is only being offered this once—at Gencon 2012.

At this point I am looking at restricting the GM pool to only 4- and 5-Star GMs. To top it off, the players that advance to the second round will trade in their Chronicle sheets received after the first round as their tickets to this invitation-only event. When they complete the second round, they will receive new Chronicle sheets with a very special boon. We haven’t forgotten about our volunteer GMs for the special either. We didn’t want them to miss out on the opportunity to play in the invitation-only second round. So, we will be entering all Round 1 GMs into a drawing, were we will pull six names. Those six GMs will then receive a seat at a 16th table of the second round.

The observant readers may have caught that I just mentioned 16 tables and are scratching their heads that three tables from each tier and the special GM table don’t add up to 16 tables. Well, you are right. Like last week’s blog that announced a special Tier 12+ event at Paizo Con, we are adding a Tier 12+ to both rounds of this year’s Gen Con special! The special will be written for Subtiers 1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 8–9, 10–11, and 12+, and we'll actually have 19 tables of round 2.

Now, let’s talk about the GMs and volunteers we need to pull all of the above off and make it an awesome Gen Con.

I need a minimum of 125 volunteer GMs for Pathfinder Society games, Beginner Box Introductions, and Kid’s Track events. I’ll continue taking volunteer GMs until the slots are filled, at which point I will create a waiting list in the event a scheduled GM has to cancel his or her Gen Con trip for whatever reason. I also need eight Volunteer Assistants for each slot of the show. These folks will not GM during their volunteer slots, but will instead help me run Pathfinder Society HQ—including marshalling, collecting tickets, distributing GM packs, and entering tracking sheets into the database—and will be our go-to guys and gals for all things Pathfinder Society.

Below you will find the reward structure for volunteering at Gen Con 2012. Keep in mind that you’re volunteering for slots, not a specific event. I will let you know the slots and scenarios you have been assigned as soon as possible. You may designate what tier scenarios you wish to GM but this is not guaranteed to be filled. I will do the best I can to accommodate your requests. My target date to get all GMs their assigned schedules is April 10. This should allow you plenty of time to plan a schedule, before the May 20 event registration, with your friends and family who are also attending Gen Con 2012. Please let me know via email which days you will be at the convention and how many slots you are volunteering for at Gen Con 2012.

Volunteer Tiers and Rewards

Tier 1 GM Volunteers
Tier 1 GM volunteers are my every day GMs. They are invaluable to making the show a success. Tier 1 GMs must select and volunteer for a MINIMUM of 7 slots. Tier 1 GMs may feel free to volunteer for more than 7 slots if they so desire. Any slots over 7 will be used as overfill GMs. Overfill GMs are requested to show up for muster but will be free for the slot if a scenario has all of its assigned GMs present. I only have room for 80 Tier 1 GM volunteers so don't delay in volunteering for this tier. Volunteers will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, though I reserve the right to select volunteers who have previously worked for Paizo over new volunteers. Please do not volunteer for Tier 1 if you have any doubts that you won't be able to attend the show. Tier 1 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2012 badge

A FREE 1/4 of a hotel room in the Hyatt Regency Hotel

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

Tier 3 GM Volunteers
While the rewards for volunteering for this tier are smaller, the majority of my volunteers will come from Tier 3. Tier 3 GMs must volunteer for a MINIMUM of 5 slots. Tier 3 GMs receive:

A FREE 4-day Gen Con 2012 badge

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A $10 per slot voucher for Paizo.com credit, useable at the show or anytime after, including with your subscriptions

A FREE limited edition Paizo Publishing Gen Con 2012 T-Shirt

Volunteering for One or Two Slot
While we will gladly accept anyone who wants to run just one or two slots during the show, there are no rewards for doing so other than our thanks.

When Volunteering...

Please be specific about what days and how many slots you are volunteering for. I will assign folks to slots and scenarios on an as-needed basis. I will update the needs in the thread below as I receive volunteers, so you may look there to remain up to date on where we still need help. You must have a gencon.com account and you must include your gencon.com account number in your email or I won’t be able to get you a badge (obviously this is only for volunteers who are volunteering for 5 or more slots). Finally, include your Paizo.com email account so I can make sure you receive the scenarios in your downloads.

The End is the Beginning

Feb 20, 2012, 10:00 AM

The End is the Beginning Monday, February 20, 2012 Last week, we announced the final batch of Season 3 Pathfinder Society scenarios, as well as the Season 4 scenarios debuting at Gen Con Indy in August. As of the writing of this blog, however, no one noticed the first signs of a slight change to the Pathfinder Society scenario release schedule that these scenarios represent. So, in honor of President's Day here in the U.S., let me illuminate you! ... First, since PaizoCon 2012 will be taking...

The End is the Beginning

Monday, February 20, 2012

Last week, we announced the final batch of Season 3 Pathfinder Society scenarios, as well as the Season 4 scenarios debuting at Gen Con Indy in August. As of the writing of this blog, however, no one noticed the first signs of a slight change to the Pathfinder Society scenario release schedule that these scenarios represent. So, in honor of President's Day here in the U.S., let me illuminate you!

First, since PaizoCon 2012 will be taking place in the first week of July instead of the middle of June, we decided to delay the release of the June scenarios (#3–23 and #3–24) so that they debut at PaizoCon. Since these four scenarios will be out within a week of one another for their PaizoCon debut, they will serve as the traditional four June scenarios and will wrap up the Year of the Ruby Phoenix storyline and segue straight into Season 4's metaplot.

I know many people will notice that this means Season 3 has two fewer scenarios than anticipated. That observation is correct, but unavoidable. Convention season is incredibly taxing on the limited organized play staff we have here, and doing 10 scenarios and 2 mutli-table specials in less than three months simply proved too daunting a task, especially when the finish line (meaning release date) of each month's portion of those products was often at the start or middle of a month rather than the end, when our production schedule is designed to have new material available.

What this does mean, however, is that we're moving the release of Pathfinder Society scenarios from the last week of each month to the first week of each month beginning in September. So instead of waiting nearly two months between the four Gen Con scenarios and the two follow-up adventures in September, we'll have new material roughly every four weeks. That also means that our production schedule will be able to more easily handle the extra workload each summer, as our new material will already be ready for early July and August release.

So there's a peek at what's changing in the coming months, and we've got a few more things left to reveal before Season 4 kicks off, but it's still a good five months away, so we'll hold off for those. There's still a lot of Season 3 left, after all.

PaizoCon Pathfinder Society Review

Feb 13, 2012, 10:00 AM

PaizoCon Pathfinder Society Review Monday, Febraury 13, 2012 I have never been to PaizoCon. I have heard many stories over a pint from friends who have been. I have wanted to go the past few years but it just never worked out, whether it was expenses or work related obligations. One of the perks of my job is now I get to go to PaizoCon every year. Of course, Erik has told me the only excuse for missing it is if I was dead and the body couldn’t be recovered. I promise, you don’t need to twist...

PaizoCon Pathfinder Society Review

Monday, Febraury 13, 2012

I have never been to PaizoCon. I have heard many stories over a pint from friends who have been. I have wanted to go the past few years but it just never worked out, whether it was expenses or work related obligations. One of the perks of my job is now I get to go to PaizoCon every year. Of course, Erik has told me the only excuse for missing it is if I was dead and the body couldn’t be recovered. I promise, you don’t need to twist my arm to be there. I am excited to experience my first PaizoCon with many of you. Not only do I get to attend, I get to help plan the convention. I can’t begin to tell you how cool that is. Every week, I’m working on one preparation or another to help make this PaizoCon the best yet. With that in mind, I thought I would share some of what is being planned for Pathfinder Society. I need to share some of this excitement so I don’t explode.

We are scheduling 150 tables of Pathfinder Society scenarios over the three days. The response of volunteers to GM was overwhelming. We filled all 150 tables in 23 hours and we currently have 22 people on the waiting list to step in if someone has to cancel their trip. It looks like I’m not the only one excited about this year’s PaizoCon. We’re scheduling every Season 3 scenario for PaizoCon over multiple tables.

We’ll also be debuting the GM 101 Workshop. Georgia Venture-Officers took the initiative late last year to put together a program to inform prospective GMs of what they might expect while running a Pathfinder Society scenario or sanctioned module. They received excellent feedback from participants, shared it with several other Venture-Officers to run in their regions, and refined the program. They pitched the idea to me to run it at conventions and I thought it was a great idea. This 4- to 5-hour workshop will be broken into two parts.

The first half includes topics such as how to bring a 4- to 5-hour scenario to life, how to make rulings on the fly, how to manage a table of complete strangers, how to organize a game day, and how to adapt to players doing the unexpected. Participants will circulate between stations to learn and practice the skills involved. During the second half, Georgia Venture-Officers will reveal the Deck of Many Situations. They will lead a humorously instructive game that challenges its players to handle tough GMing situations based on real, in-game dilemmas. Participants will have the opportunity to play the parts of both the GM and the troublesome players. Judges will offer feedback for each round, giving everyone the opportunity to learn. Note that we will also be running GM 101 workshops at Gen Con. I prefer that anyone who wants to volunteer to help run them at Gen Con attend one of these workshops at PaizoCon.

Finally, we are returning the Grand Convocation to its rightful place at PaizoCon. There will be tiered mini-quests that take an hour or two to complete. There will be side events where special Chronicles can be earned. And, according to Major Maldris, the Blakros family is planning to make an appearance. It is unclear exactly what they want. Major Maldris seemed visibly upset (who can blame him when the Blakros are involved) when asked about it, as there have been whispers of bargains, deals, marriages and the like that the Blakros family is pursuing.

I hope to see many of you there and to match faces with messageboard names and avatars. I also hope that I can help provide all of you that are attending with your most memorable Pathfinder experience to date. I look forward to seeing you all in July.

Oh, I almost forgot one important note. It has been mentioned for several years that there would be occasional special events for retired, 12th level PCs. The Grand Convocation is the debut of these special, Tier 12+ events.

Toasting Merrymead with Two New Venture-Captains

Feb 6, 2012, 10:00 AM

Toasting Merrymead with Two New Venture-Captains Monday, February 6, 2012 ... Illustration by Alex AparinIt is a rare occasion when a person can combine two fun events into one. On this Monday after the Super Bowl, I get to do just that! ... First, I want to welcome two new Venture-Captains to the ranks in areas that have been in serious need of strong organization for some time. The first is St. Louis, Missouri. Originally, St. Louis wasn’t on my list. However, that quickly changed when...

Toasting Merrymead with Two New Venture-Captains

Monday, February 6, 2012

Illustration by Alex Aparin

It is a rare occasion when a person can combine two fun events into one. On this Monday after the Super Bowl, I get to do just that!

First, I want to welcome two new Venture-Captains to the ranks in areas that have been in serious need of strong organization for some time. The first is St. Louis, Missouri. Originally, St. Louis wasn’t on my list. However, that quickly changed when Brett Sweeney emailed his interest in becoming a Venture-Captain. He provided a very good resume and some outstanding answers to my interview questionnaire. There already seems to be a very strong base of players in the region and I am excited to see how Pathfinder Society grows in St. Louis, as well as the rest of Missouri, now that we have the entire state covered with an awesome group of Venture-Officers.

I also get very excited when we are able to assign a Venture-Captain to a region, or in this case a state, that has had little to no Venture-Officer presence, but has been longing for someone to step up to the task of organizing Pathfinder Society. I’ve known Martin Shelby for more than 10 years, have played roleplaying, board, card and miniatures games with him during that period, and know his organizational and gaming skills are up to the task. When he moved from Atlanta to Nashville last year, I already had my sights on setting him up as a Venture-Captain there. We talked about it last year at Gen Con and he wasn’t prepared to take over the reigns. However, five months later, he has decided that he would like to see how fast he can grow Pathfinder Society in middle Tennessee. He will be our first Venture-Captain in Tennessee and I foresee good things happening for the growth of Pathfinder Society in the state.

Now, on to the second fun event for this week—another holiday blog (and anyone who knows me knows how much I love a good brew)! Creative Director James Jacobs wrote the below description of Merrymead and you will find a special Pathfinder Society Chronicle sheet you can download and apply to a Pathfinder Society character. Merrymead is mentioned on page 248 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: The Inner Sea World Guide.

The month of Calistril is much anticipated, if only because it signifies the end of winter and the inevitable (and usually much welcomed) onset of spring. And no time is more infused with this eager anticipation than the second day of the month—a day set aside in most areas of the Inner Sea as the holiday known as Merrymead. A key element of Merrymead, of course, is the consumption of the last of the previous season’s alcohol. Traditionally, this is intended to be little more than a communal sharing of mead supplies (a legacy of the holiday’s original origins in central Druma), but today, most celebrants use Merrymead as an excuse to get completely smashed on whatever source of booze is available. In high societies, aristocrats celebrate with the uncorking of bottles specifically set aside for the event, while in the city slums, roving gangs of celebrants carouse from bar to bar. It is here that the notorious “mead riots” generally happen, when not-quite-drunk-enough merrymakers, faced with the inevitable situation of there being more carousers than alcohol, grow violent and destructive. Cities with strong histories of mead riots generally draw upon additional troops from the militia to help keep the peace... yet sometimes, it can be hard to draw upon those troops when they themselves have been looking forward to their own Merrymead celebrations!

The Dawn of a New Era: Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.1

Jan 30, 2012, 03:00 PM

The Dawn of a New Era: Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.1 Monday, January 30, 2012 ... Illustration by Kevin YanWhen I arrived back in late September as the new Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator, I had hundreds of people requesting hundreds of changes to the way Pathfinder Society Organized Play was run. It was definitely enough to make my head swim with all the different requests and it took me a few weeks to get a grip on the way change should be handled....

The Dawn of a New Era: Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.1

Monday, January 30, 2012

Illustration by Kevin Yan

When I arrived back in late September as the new Pathfinder Society Campaign Coordinator, I had hundreds of people requesting hundreds of changes to the way Pathfinder Society Organized Play was run. It was definitely enough to make my head swim with all the different requests and it took me a few weeks to get a grip on the way change should be handled. Pathfinder Society has some very good things going for it, but there were some rulings and fundamental practices that needed to be looked at to see if we could make organized play better.

The first step was to talk with Developer Mark Moreland. He was the current institutional knowledge on all things Pathfinder Society. I rolled of out my list proposed alterations and requests and we talked for the first few weeks about what could be changed, what should be changed, and what should remain the same. After quite a few hours-long meetings, we finally knew what improvements we wanted to focus on. I also want to take a quick second to thank Mark for all of his help, not just on the guide but with everything, in helping me to transition into this position. Without his help, thoughts, insight, and advice, this job would be a tenfold more difficult than it has been. Mark was the caretaker for a long while for Pathfinder Society and I appreciate everything he did to bring it up to the level it is today. He has more love and has poured more heart and soul into the campaign than anyone else I know and I thank him for that.

After my list of goals and changes was completed, I approached the Venture-Captains and Venture-Lieutenants for their input. I felt it was important to get more ideas and different perspectives from the leaders of Pathfinder Society. There was much debate and discussion. Changes and tweaks were made to refine the direction I wanted to take Pathfinder Society. After a week or so, we finally decided that most changes were in good working order. However, we felt, as a group, that it was important to hear what the fanbase had to say about such sweeping changes to organized play. We knew that there would be people who were outright opposed to some of the changes while others would wholeheartedly agree with them. Whatever the outcome, we still felt it important to allow folks to have their input heard. So, I listed a series of proposed changes on the Pathfinder Society General Discussion messageboard.

After a week or so of listening to input from players, GMs, coordinators, and store owners, we brought all the discussions back to the Venture-Captain messageboard. We held firm to some of the changes we believed in, but altered other proposed rules changes where all of you made very good points. Once we had all the rulings in place for after a final review, I wrote them into the new Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.1.

I will post a complete list of changes, additions, and deletions that vary from version 4.0 to version 4.1 on the Pathfinder Society General Discussion messageboard. However, I did want to list some of the bigger changes here.

We added all current Paizo shirts as available for a reroll.

We have changed the way pregenerated characters work. Gone are the days when playing a pregenerated character in a scenario for the first time left the player empty-handed. Now, if the player is playing a non-1st-level pregenerated character, he or she may choose instead to apply the Chronicle sheet to a newly created 1st-level character.

We added a new chapter titled, Chapter 6: Sanctioned Modules. There are big changes to sanctioned module play. Gone are the artificial leveling up or down of a character. Now, the sanctioned modules must be played by a character within one level of the module’s starting level. I know this is not a popular decision for some. However, campaign leadership feels this change is what is best for the campaign. Death and use of consumables now have consequences. New Chronicle sheets have been completed for all 15 sanctioned modules that adjust the wealth received to be in line with wealth received when playing the equivalent number of scenarios. These Chronicle sheets are available for download on their respective product pages.

We have opened up play beyond 12th level. While there are no 13th-level or higher scenarios on the schedule, a retired Pathfinder Society character may play and continue to advance in levels utilizing the sanctioned modules. To facilitate the higher-level advancement, the Fame and Item Purchases chart has been expanded to an upper limit of 99 points of Fame and 800,000 GP. Guidelines for purchasing scrolls of levels 7, 8 and 9 have also been included.

A section on alignment infractions has been added.

There are a few more changes and those will be detailed in the post on the Pathfinder Society General Discussion messageboard. I want to thank Mark, the Venture-Officers, and the fanbase for input into the new guide. I think the changes are what is best for the campaign, will help to strengthen the campaign for the future, and make the overall organized play experience a better one for new and veteran players alike.

On a side note, the guide’s numbering system is off due to the first season of Pathfinder Society Organized Play being labeled Season 0. At Gen Con this year, we plan to align the guide’s version number with the current season. Instead of listing the Season 4 guide as version 5.0, it will be titled Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play, Version 4.2. Once Season 5 is upon us at Gen Con 2013, the guide will then be titled as version 5.0 and we will move forward from there.